Customer Reviews

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Helen Grace (Parker) and her kids Mallory (Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both Highmore) are starting fresh after Helen's separation from the kids' father. They are moving into the Spiderwick Estate, a mansion that Helen inherited from her Aunt Lucinda (Plowwright). The estate has an interesting history though. 80 years ago, Arthur Spiderwick (Strathairn) wrote a "field guide" to the world around him. This guide includes all kinds of fantastical creatyres. By writing it, he unleashed some terrible forces and now an army of goblins is amassing. Led by the ogre Mulgrath (Nolte), they seek to take the book away from the protection of the house. The kids are all that stands between Mulgrath and world domination.

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a surprisingly well done movie. For a movie that covers five books, there isn't a feeling that much was lost in the translation. There is a lot of action that keeps the moving quickly. The child actors do a good job in the roles, especially Highmore in dual roles. The story is not complex, but is not simple either. Plus, it deals with serious issues like divorce, a topic that many kids will relate to. "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is an excellent move for kids from about 6-7 on up to adults. I highly recommend this film.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1. Helen Grace moves into the Spiderwick Estate with her three kids, Mallory, Simon and Jared. Simon and Jared are twins (played by the impressive Freddie Highmore)
2. It doesn't take the kids long to find a secret room, a locked chest and a book marked "Do NOT read"
3. You can guess what happens next
4. Up pops a tiny Brownie named Thimbletack (Martin Short) who changes into a Boggart when riled up.
5. He gets riled up a lot
6. There's an evil Ogre named Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) who commands an army of Goblins, and really, really wants the aforementioned book
7. The Ogre can change his appearance, and is at his most frightening when he looks like Nick Nolte.
8. During the machinations and shenanigans to protect the book, the kids meet a scene stealing Hobgoblin named Hogsqueal (Seth Rogen) who has a talent for expectorating and a penchant for bipedal, endothermic vertebrate animals that lay eggs (also known as birds)
9. The kids set off on a quest to find the author of the book, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn)
10. When they get back, they have to quickly work out a strategy for repelling Goblins and an Ogre who looks like the Grinch on steroids.
11. Exciting yet somewhat disturbing altercation ensues
12. Just desserts are served for the grand finale.


The movie is based on the five books that make up The Spiderwick Chronicles, but barely touches book three, Lucinda's Secret and never touches book four, The Ironwood Tree. There are a few small differences, but for the most part the movie captures the spirit of the series.

Relatively short, it's ideal for kids from around ten or so, as there are some mildly scary scenes and one close to the end that could be disturbing until the twist is revealed.

It's also recommended that you get the series for your young `uns. The books are short, easy to read and full of magical and fantastical adventures. Don't forget the follow-up The Nixie's Song (Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1), and the soon to be released A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles)


The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles)
The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2)
The Wrath of Mulgarath (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5)




Amanda Richards, June 18, 2008

The Grace family moves into an old family estate, long uninhabited - or so they think. In fact the house has an inhabitant. More to the point, the woods around the house have their own trolls and gnomes, unfriendly ones, who want something that's inside the house.

So starts this kids' fantasy, with a big element of "the grownups just don't get it." In this case, young Jared not only finds that thing that the invisible ouside beings want, he also perceives their threat first. A kid-empowerment fantasy ensues, with the grownups (including a teen sister in a half-grownup kind of role) finally catching on just barely in time.

If you want a bit of fantasy without overt violence (or not much), and with people keeping their clothes on, you came to the right place. There's a suitably scary buildup at the end, with some great CGI effects like those toad-like outside beings. Maybe it's not memorable, but it's fun anyway.

-- wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release

Condensing 5 books into one film can hurt storylines and make for lots of undeveloped characters. But the archetypes in Spiderwick are so familiar (like the abbreviated Potter movies) that it is less of a disadvantage than you would think. We, as objective movie viewers have to let go of the expectation for the Holy Grail of the perfect book-to-film translation and face that the mediums are apples and oranges. This is an easy task for me this time because I haven't read any of the Spiderwick series. But having said that, my children and I, enjoy the film. The look of the "world" created in the spirit of the books were originally stylized enough to make it a departure from the world of Hogwarts (which is no small accomplishment when you also have trolls and griffins.

Typical of the archetypes of the genre, you have the child-outsider of a broken (or bent) home who blunders into a magic world, along with quirky, sometimes ill-mannered, but ultimately well-meaning siblings and finally the single parent who doesn't believe a word-of it. The kid opens a book he shouldn't (like who would read a book that has "Do not open" on the cover, it should have read: don't open infested with Lice!" that would have kept `em out!) and then spends the film trying to make things right and bonding with his estranged family.

Production is pretty eye-candy using visual designers of the Henson school of creature making. John Horner (the not-Williams) composes a face paced soundtrack that matches the speed of the story and slows appropriately of the sappier moments of the movie. The cast is a watchable bunch of not-overly attractive kids, along with some voice cameos like Martin Short and Nick Nolte, not without distinction, plays the badie (physically sometimes) well enough.

We enjoyed the film and, if there isn't higher praise than this let me know, we were inspired to check-out the Spiderwick Chronicles book series at our local library to fill in all the plot holes.

Without boring you with a long drawn out review, I just wanted to say it's a wonderful tale. It's a fastasy adventure for all ages.

I could use this review of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" as a platform to describe how different it is from the five books that inspired it, but why bother? After years of hearing it in college English classes, I've finally come to accept the adage that movies are not books, and books are not movies. As a film, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is charming, magical, and a lot of fun, which is about what one would expect from a family-oriented fantasy film. The characters are compelling and the story is effectively simple and good-hearted, telling a tried and true story that an audience can willingly enjoy. I'm not so deluded as to think this an original story; the Reluctant Hero, the Magical Creatures, and the Fight Against Evil are all too familiar at this point. On the same token, I'm not so cold-hearted as to dismiss it entirely. This is, quite simply, an effective movie.

The story focuses on the Grace family and its bumpy transition into a new life, one that happens to include an adventure into a world of goblins, ogres, sprites, and brownies. The mom, Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), now a divorcee, moves with her children out of New York City and into the dilapidated former home of her great uncle, Arthur Spiderwick. Her teenage daughter, Mallory (Sarah Bolger), is headstrong, bossy, and a champion fencer. Her identical twin boys--Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore)--are polar opposites: Simon is a quiet pacifist who loves to read and connects with animals; Jared is angry, bitter, and rebellious, not only because his father left him, but also because he bears the brunt of his mother's anger. Adjusting to a new life won't be easy for him, especially since his new house looks like it was taken straight from the panels of a Charles Addams comic strip.

The adventure proper begins the very night they arrive. Jared immediately hears something scurrying in the walls, and after busting a wall open with a broomstick, he finds a dumbwaiter filled with various knickknacks (such as Mallory's fencing medal, which she believes he stole). He also finds a key. He then enters the dumbwaiter and pulls himself up to the attic, which contains a secret library coated in dust; in one corner sits a large chest, and lo and behold, the key fits into the lock. Jared unlocks it, opens the lid, and finds a book with a warning attached to the front, something about not opening the book because you'd risk your life doing so. He ignores it, of course, which is fine since there wouldn't be a story otherwise. Inside, Jared discovers that it's a field guide created by Arthur Spiderwick over eighty years ago, one that explains everything about the magical world around us with illustrations and notes.

At around this point, Jared discovers what's been scurrying through the walls: his name is Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short), an easily provoked brownie that loves honey and can only be seen if he wants you to see him. He's in a panic because Jared has discovered the book, and this will not do since Thimbletack's job was to protect it at any cost. Jared is learning more about the creatures that inhabit our world, namely that they can't be seen without a special ring-shaped stone. Thimbletack gives Jared the stone, and he looks through it in time to see Simon dragged off by a mean group of ugly ogres; the ensuing rescue attempt reveals that a powerful, shape shifting ogre named Mulgarath (voiced by Nick Nolte) wants Spiderwick's book for his own malevolent reasons.

This is pretty much the foundation for the journey, one that sees Mallory joining her brothers, a visit to their great aunt Lucinda (Joan Plowright) in a mental institution, and a few sequences with Arthur Spiderwick himself (David Strathairn), a man who walks with a cane because it makes him look scholarly. We're also treated to a number of impressive visual effects, not the least of which have to do with a number of creatures that hide in plain sight. I especially liked the sprites that take the form of ordinary flowers--I'd love to walk through a park with such creatures floating around me. We also meet Hogsqueal (voiced by Seth Rogen), a hobgoblin that loves to eat birds, and a griffin named Byron, who flies majestically above clouds, over mountains, and through caves.

There was also an interesting subplot about the house itself. Apparently, it's surrounded by a ring of toadstools that act as a kind of force field; nothing magical can cross that line either way, meaning that the book is safe so long as it remains in the house. Jared, being the willful young lad he is, takes it with him wherever he goes, which is one of the reasons why Thimbletack is always so high-strung. Is it any wonder that his anger forces him into acts of mischief, such as tying Mallory's hair to the posts of her bed, or switching the field guide with a cookbook when Jared isn't looking?

As routine as this material is, all of it still manages to be wonderful, so much so that we don't stop to think about the film's weaker aspects, namely the tension and resentment growing between Jared and his mother. Then again, that too would have been unoriginal, since it's been explored so many times in so many other movies. Ultimately, what we really care about is the fight between the Graces and Mulgarath--or to more general, the fight between Good and Evil. The final confrontation has some nice subtleties that I wouldn't dream of giving away, not only because they're clever, but also because they're expected. I recommend "The Spiderwick Chronicles" to everyone, even to diehard fans of the book series created by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; it's an easy-going fantasy fable, about as enjoyable as a green pasture swarming with sprites.

First let me say if you did NOT read the books and just want a good film with outstanding and magical special effects for you and your older children then this really is a great choice; go ahead and get this movie and be happy.

If you want to watch the movie and expect it to follow the books you will be greatly disappointed. I am not sure that the Amazon reviewer, Tom Keogh, read the books. This is not a "good adaptation" of the books. The writers of this movie took the characters and then twisted and distorted them into a story vaguely reminiscent of the books. One of the main rewards we use for our children is they can watch the movie if they have read the books. We read the entire 7 Narnia books and have seen the first two movies which are very good (especially Prince Caspian movie).

Let me quickly list just a very few of the differences from the movie and the book off the top of my head (we read the book quite a while ago and just bought the DVD and watched it last night). I am sure there are many more differences but you will get the idea:
1. They don't really play up the love of animals Simon has.
2. There are no Dwarfs/sleeping Mallory in a box scenes.
3. There is no quarry scene.
4. There are no school scenes or mentioning.
5. Jared does not have to solve any mystery to find anything (i.e. like figuring out the riddle of the trunk and that it had a false bottom).
6. They don't have to find the seeing stone Thimbletack just happens to have it and hand it to them/Jared.
7. Mallory and Simon are more antagonistic to Jared and come into believing that there are strange things going on much later.
8. Thimbletack is mostly a green somewhat scary Boggart and very little of the Brownie. He shape shifts before your eyes multiple times and is as addicted to honey as any Meth addict is to their drug.
9. The scene to go find the book is different (Jared goes alone and Simon and Mallory do not help him in the dumbwaiter).
10. The whole story line was changed when they were off to find Simon after he was carried away by the Goblins. Mallory does not go with him and there is no Troll in the water (instead the Troll-which looks more like a giant iguana/dinosaur on steroids- chases them later when they go to see their Aunt).
11. They do not go to see their aunt with their Mom they do through this underground tunnel system chased by a psychotic dinosaur they are saying is a Troll.
12. There is a lot of honey, salt and tomatoes in this movie not found in the book.
13. Hogsqueals initial scene is totally changed; as is his motivation; in the movie he is on some sort of crusade to revenge his family.
14. The Griffin character was changed to Arthur Spiderwicks pet they somehow summon out of thin air and not rescued from the Goblins when trying to free Simon after they discovered Hogsqueal.
15. There are no elves and they do not have to figure out how to get to Arthur Spiderwick (the summoned Griffin just flies there to him.
16. Mulgaraths character is totally changed. He shape shifts into two equally frightening characters, Nick Nolte on his daily dose of drugs and scleral icterus and a demon character that resembles a scary devil.
17. The ending is totally different and has no resemblance to the book. The finale takes place in their house and will scare young children and to my taking would warrant a PG-13 rating. If your kids are desensitized to violence and horror then they will do fine otherwise I would read the stories and let the imagination go. Hope this helps!

Having read the member reviews, the common theme seems to be that you need to have read the books in order to enjoy this movie.

Nonsense.

I found this movie to be an entertaining story for people of all ages; very suitable family fare, as well as engaging for anyone who's a fan of the fantasy genre.

It's not an earth-shaking spectacle, not does it set out to be. The story's told on a level understandable to younger children through the magical spectacle of fairies and goblins, but with adult issues also interwoven to capture the interest of older viewers (though frankly, I found the magical spectacle stuff really enchanting).

Fast-paced, well performed, nicely shot, I can recommend this movie for anyone who's looking for a fun bit of escapism for an evening.

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a fantasy film with a slightly dark side. Though the film's premise is pretty familiar, its tone sometimes becomes a little different from other recent fantasy films like "Stardust" or "The Golden Compass." Some creatures such as fairies and goblins may look too grotesque or creepy, even scary for some kids - though adults may find something humorous in their behaviors.

"The Spiderwick Chronicles," based on a series of children's novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, begins with the Grace family - spirited Mallory (Sarah Bolger, "In America"), twins Jared and Simon (both by Freddie Highmore, "August Rush") and their mother Helen (Mary-Louise Parker) - moving into old "Spiderwick" estate. Those kids are not very happy living in this dilapidated house surrounded by thick woods. And this spooky house may be haunted. At least that's how Jared (Freddie Highmore) thinks when he notices something is crawling behind the wall.

Jared, most adventurous (and most careless) one of the three children, discovers an old laboratory. There he finds an old book that has a note warning not to open it. Of course, he ignores it. He realizes his mistake too late when he knows the house is beleaguered by some invisible critters led by terrifying Mulgarath (cameo by Nick Nolte).

Though the film's story may sound like zombie film, it is, as some reviewers point out, actually closer to "Home Alone" where clever children outwit "bad" goblins. The battles are, as IMDb's parents guide says, "suspenseful but not too violent," but still some of the creatures (including "good" ones) may look too creepy for some. Remember the animation supervisor / characters designer is Phil Tippett, whose great visual effects works include those of "Starship Troopers" and "Willow."

Entertaining and fun as it is, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is not perfect. The double role by Freddie Highmore does not work as it should because Simon is much weaker as character than Jared. The sub-plot about kids' parents can be much shorter. Some part of the film's actions is a bit conventional and the ending is ... well, certainly unique, but you may dislike it.

Still director Mark Waters ("Mean Girls" "Just Like Heaven") keeps a good pace throughout, never wasting time before starting actions, and these actions are always fun to watch. Perhaps the readers of the original books have something to say about the way they were adapted, but overall I enjoyed watching "The Spiderwick Chronicles."

Before writers Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi worked on the book "The Field Guide" (2003) and way before they created their eight books based on "The Spiderwick Chronicles", both writers have said that the story is based on an actual events that were told to them by a family in Maine.

After receiving letters from three young children about their experiences of discovering these magical creatures, it became an inspiration to write about their experiences and create a magical story based on their experiences via "The Spiderwick Chronicles".

With the popularity of the children's books, the first five books ("The Field Guide, "The Seeing Stone", "Lucinda's Secret", "The Ironwood Tree" and "The Wrath of Mulgarath") were then adapted into a film released in theaters in 2008 and has grossed over $162 million worldwide and for the most part, receiving favorable reviews from reviewers.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a film presented in 1080p High Definition and with many of the scenes featured during the day and night, one thing that is constantly emphasized throughout the film are its blacks. Blacks are well done and outdoor scenes are quite vibrant and colorful. We see the scenes of Fall with the leaves on the ground but for the most part, the film utilizes a lot of CG. And overall, the CG is where most of the detail can be seen. But in some ways, the film has its share of darkness and for the most part, I think it was the cinematographer's goal to capture the home being surrounded by darkness and light during indoor scenes are kept minimal. But overall, I felt that "The Spiderwick Chronicles" dark nature was fitting for the film and definitely looked much better than its DVD counterpart.

As for the audio, the film is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and in French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. I felt the film was quite immersive as dialogue and music was quite clear during the front and center channels. But the roars of the monsters and the overall sounds being carried through the surround channels as it pans from left to right or right to left was pretty awesome. Great use of the subwoofer producing really nice LFE during the monstrous sounds as a troll going after Jared and Mallory or the action sequences towards the end of the film. There are plenty of action sequences in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and for the most part, audio quality is top notch!

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" feature the following special features:

* Spiderwick: It's All True! - (7:02) - Director Mark Waters introduces us to the creatures of Spiderwick.
* It's a Spiderwick World - (8:44) Writers Holly Black and Toni DiTerlizzi explain how the Spiderwick Chronicles came to be and also seeing their books being turned into a movie. Also, crew talk about their involvement in the film.
* Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide - Using your remote, you can view the Field Guide and learn more about the creatures featured in the film.
* Field Guide In-Movie Mode - While watching the film, you can see some interesting information shown on the bottom in regards to the characters in the film.
* Spiderwick: Meet the Clan! - (13:54) Director Mark Waters talks about casting of the talent in the film and the talents talk about being part of the film. Also, how the talents Freddie Highmore is from England and Sarah Bolger is from Ireland. So, despite being an American made film, the two were cast for the part and speaking without their accents.
* The Magic of Spiderwick! - (20:53) We learn about the set and production design of the film. From the creation of the house, the trees, the tunnels and more.
* A Final Word of Advice! - (1:51) - Director Mark Waters final message.
* Deleted Scenes: Four deleted scenes which include: Mom & Jared, Boys in Bedroom, Messy Kitchen and Meet Lucinda.
* Nickelodeon TV Spots - (5:04) A Total of nine TV spots which include: A Guide to Seeing The Spiderwick Chronicles, Cinema Spy, Confessional - Jared, Confessional - Mallory, Field Guide - Tomato Sauce, Field Guide - Seeing Stone, Field Guide - Creatures, What if you had a seeing stone? and The Split Spot.
* Theatrical Trailer - (2:04 each) Featuring two trailers Good vs. Evil and Secrets.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I have to admit that I had no knowledge of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" previously to watching the films and having watched the film, I truly enjoyed the magical aspects of the film and how the film was actually quite dark considering it was based on a children's book. I actually tried to watch this film with my six-year-old son who insisted that since it was Nickelodeon movie, he wanted to watch it. And 15-minutes into the film, he was literally scared and couldn't watch anymore.

But for me, I had a fun time and partly it's because of the Blu-ray's immersive soundtrack. This film did a great job making you hear the monsters all around you and creating that dark atmosphere throughout the film. "The Spiderwick Chronicles" definitely does a great job in utilizing sound and those with a good home theater setup will enjoy this film's lossless soundtrack.

And for the film, it was great to see so many talent involved. Seeing Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Andrew McCarthy, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn in the film and also knowing that Seth Rogen and Martin Short providing the voices was pretty cool. But you also have to give credit to English actor Freddie Highmore and Irish actress Sarah Bolger who did a great job in playing American kids. Highmore especially did a fantastic job in having us believe that perhaps Jared and Simon were actually twins. He managed to pull of two different characters, despite the two being twin brothers.

If I had any negatives with the film, it's when the film tried to use Jared's anger towards his parent's split and you suddenly go back and forth from the action to his family woes. In just seemed a bit unusual to see things disrupted in that manner but fortunately, it happens only once or twice in the film. And since the film is based on five books, one can only imagine how much storyline was left out from the actual film and how different or how faithful the film's adaptation was to the original books.

But overall, being a guy who has no knowledge of the books, it was pretty fun to have a film that was adventurous and dark. Sure, there are a lot of these adventure/magical type of films that are being adapted into a film these days but I definitely found "The Spiderwick Chronicles" to be quite entertaining and fun. And you do get quite a number of special features included in the Blu-ray as well.

If you are looking for an adventure film to add to your Blu-ray collection and you enjoyed films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia" or even the Harry Potter films, definitely give "The Spiderwick Chronicles" a chance.