The Spiderwick Chronicles (14 February 2008)
directed by Mark Waters
starring Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte, Martin Short, Seth Rogen, Andrew McCarthy, Tyler Patrick Jones
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MPAA rating: Studio: The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Nickelodeon Movies, Spiderwick Productions, Gotham Group, Mark Canton Productions Script: Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum, John Sayles Based on the book by: Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black Music: James Horner Running time: 97 minutes Tags: Adventure; books; Family Film; family mansion; faries; goblins; griffins; hobgoblins; novel apaptation; ogres; sprites; twins Tactical strength: [8/10]
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for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements
The Spiderwick Chronicles takes the recently popular theme of a fairy world that exists right alongside us but remains unseen -- mostly by choice, but also by magical barriers. In this case, the fairy creatures can choose to allow humans to see them, but certain artifacts and treatments exist to allow humans to see the fairy world inhabitants unaided. (Not that anyone would choose to anoint their eyes with Hobgoblin spit, but the characters don't get much choice in the matter.)
The film gets it's name from Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), who discovered the fairy world and made a scientific pursuit of documenting every fact that he could learn. Why the usually shy and secretive occupants of the fairy world choose to tell all their magical secrets to Spiderwick, doesn't exactly make sense, and Spiderwick does too good of a job recording what he learns. The ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) decides that with the secrets in Spiderwick's book, he could completely control all of the fairy and human worlds. Afraid of just such an event, Spiderwick seals his book, which appears to put a barrier between the fairy and human worlds.
Eighty years later (I know, I hate that sort of thing, but it's not too jarring in this case), Spiderwick's relatives inherit his house and move in. Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) has just split up with her husband and moves into the Spiderwick house as both an escape and an attempt to start over. She has custody of her children, Mallory (Sarah Bolger) about 15, and the twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore), around 11 or 12. Jared and Simon, although identical twins, have completely different personalities, and Hightower does an excellent job portraying these completely unique characters. You never get confused about which brother you see on screen. Wardrobe helps, but Highmore keeps Simon looking like a nerdy bookworm and Jared looking like an athletic sports fan.
While exploring the house, Jared finds Spiderwick's book. Ignoring the very clear warning about death and destruction to those who open the book, Jared breaks the seal and begins to read about a world of magical creatures. By breaking the seal, Jared breaks the barrier between the fairy and human worlds and exposes his family to a pantheon of aggressive creatures. Mulgarath senses the change right away, and sends his henchmen (goblins in this case) to retrieve the book. The game is afoot and the cliches start to fly fast and furious.
Director Mark Waters does an excellent job at making the danger to the Grace family seem very real. From the moment Jared breaks the seal, you feel that just about anything could happen, especially since Simon gets kidnapped and hung in a goblin cage almost right away. Mulgarath seems to have forces to spare -- far more than a couple young boys and their skeptical sister can handle on their own. The effects do just enough to create a believable fairy world, but the story doesn't surrender to the effects. The characters must deal with the real consequences of releasing an ogre and his army. In the end, salvation relies on Jared's the strength of character and intelligence in a live or die ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
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