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Most of the time, I feel like I know a thing or two about movies. But, sometimes, I obviously have no clue. Take, for instance, last fall, when one of the girls in my kids’ knitting group started talking about The Spiderwick Chronicles. She’d read all the books, and she was so very excited about the movie.
“Hold on…are you talking about The Golden Compass?” I asked, thinking about the upcoming kids’ movie that was already stirring up controversy.
“The Golden Compass is stupid,” she scoffed. “The Spiderwick Chronicles is awesome.”
As it turned out, my 11-year-old movie oracle knew what she was talking about.
The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the story of the Grace children—Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore). After their parents divorce, they move with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to an old house in the middle of nowhere—a house that was once owned by the mysterious Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn).
While exploring the old house one night, Jared (the rebellious twin with anger issues) finds Arthur Spiderwick’s life’s work: a carefully researched old book that reveals the secrets of all kinds of magical creatures. Little does Jared know, though, that when he opened the book, he attracted the attention of an evil ogre who will stop at nothing to learn the book’s secrets.
Unlike the complex and tedious Golden Compass, The Spiderwick Chronicles tells a simple but enchanting story, and it’s filled with action and excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. After briefly introducing the characters and their situation, the story takes off—and it doesn’t slow down until the closing credits roll.
That’s not to say, though, that Spiderwick isn’t without its flaws. It does tend to be a bit melodramatic (and just a little bit cheesy) at times, and the effects aren’t perfect. But considering that the movie required two young actors to play three characters who spend much of the movie interacting with imaginary creatures, I’d say it’s still pretty impressive. And once things pick up, you’ll be too caught up in the story to care about the picky details anyway.
Parents should be warned, however, that The Spiderwick Chronicles isn’t a movie for younger viewers. I was surprised that, with its terrifying situations, scary creatures, and shocking violence, it still managed to get a PG rating. Because while reading about a goblin attack may be pretty scary, it’s even scarier when it comes to life before your eyes. And the images of the main characters attacking the goblin army with meat cleavers and skin-scorching tomato sauce are pretty likely to haunt young viewers’ dreams (and perhaps cause them to stop eating spaghetti).
For older viewers who can handle the scary parts, though, my young friend was right: The Spiderwick Chronicles is pretty awesome. It’s a thrilling and magical adventure—one that you won’t soon forget.
DVD Review:
Though I’ve never read the series of kids’ books on which The Spiderwick Chronicles is based, I’ve quickly become a fan of the movie. The characters are lovable (even cranky Jared), the story is enchanting, and the action is pretty much non-stop.
Now that I’ve made my way through the features on the two-disc Field Guide Special Edition, I have an even greater appreciation for the movie. After all, I’ve seen just about everything that went into this imaginative fantasy film—from the creation of the books to the behind-the-scenes movie-making stuff, all the way through the movie’s post-production.
While I love all that movie-magic stuff, though, I was just as intrigued by the inside look at Arthur Spiderwick’s field guide. Throughout the special features, you’ll find beautiful illustrations and detailed descriptions of many of the fantastical creatures. You can even compare the images in the book with their depictions in the movie. So if you’re a fan of the Spiderwick books—and the movie—you’ll find that the Field Guide Edition of the DVD does an excellent job of tying the two together.
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