In association with

The Spiderwick Chronicles [2008]
from Paramount Home Entertainment
starring Seth Rogen, Freddie Highmore, David Strathairn, Martin Short
directed by Mark Waters

Features:

• PAL

Editorial Review:

A very good adaptation of the popular series of books by Tony DiTerllizi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the few family films in recent years to seamlessly integrate magical elements with a potent drama that will strike a chord with many kids.

An exceptionally talented Freddie Highmore (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) plays twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, caught up in their parents' divorce and coping with a decision by their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to uproot the boys and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger) from New York City to a small town. There, the broken family moves into a spooky old mansion passed on to them by the kids' great-aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who is spending her twilight years in managed care and whose scientist father, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), disappeared some 80 years ago. Jared, angry, defiant, and determined to live with the father who seems to have abandoned him, investigates strange happenings and discovers Arthur's secret notations on fairies, ogres, and other mythical creatures that live both in and outside the house. Having no idea where his curiosity is leading, Jared soon finds that he and his family are under siege from goblins and a powerful ogre (Nick Nolte) who wants Arthur's notebook. Suddenly, the boy who is a lightning rod for a troubled family becomes a resourceful warrior intent on saving his loved ones from powerful forces.

The Spiderwick Chronicles benefits enormously from a script (partially written by John Sayles) that treats, quite seriously, the emotional pain of its human characters and makes Jared's will to survive the very real engine of an otherwise fantastic story. It helps, too, that director Mark Waters, who brings a warm and knowing touch to outlandish material (Freaky Friday), has a way of making the spectacular elements of The Spiderwick Chronicles genuine enough to stir real excitement and suspense. This is one of the better film adaptations of best-selling fiction for kids in some years. --Tom Keogh

From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house, peculiar things start to happen. Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances, the Grace children--Jared, Simon and Mallory--start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• Absolute rubbish!
  Went to see this at the cinema as it was the only film playing and I have never felt so cheated for four quid. It is quite possibly the worst film ever made and it annoys me so much that millions are spent on these types of films when half of the budget for this load of hogwash could have made something brilliant like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno.
  The main actor tries to hold the film together but is let down by a terrible cast and the thousands of tacky, unoriginal effects that are thrown in, not to... more info

• Spiderwick Chronicles DVD
  Both my son and I are big fans of the Spiderwick books, my son loves the stories and I'm a big fan of Tony Diterlizzi the illustrator. So we were so excited about the tales and pictures being brought to life in film format. Well, we weren't disappointed! Obviously some artistic licence has been used but it doesn't detract from the main storyline. The effects are great, Freddie is great playing both twins, and Lucinda's flower sprites are lovely! A little bit of nastiness though, we're dealing with goblins... more info

• A magical and enchanting fantasy adventure.
  I rented this on DVD from my local library, and watching it, it occurred to me that I shouldn't have dismissed it as a 'kid's' film and should've gone to see it when it came out at the cinema.
  Acting: Well, I'm glad to say, from my point of view the acting's so much better than some wooden performances I've seen in these type of fantasy films. Highmore again handles playing twins very effectively, and he shows emotion really well. Bolger, who plays his older sister Mallory is natural and thankfully not... more info

• Like a horror movie
  Pro: story, characters, special effects
  Con: It had the creepy, sinister, feeling of a horror movie. The kids in the movie throw tomato ketchup 'bombs' at the monsters to kill them. By the end of the movie the walls of the house looked like they were dripping with blood. Also didn't like the way the main boy stabbed his 'father'...I know it was the monster in disguise but I felt it was a very jarring and overly graphic image.

Similar Products:

More from Amazon