2-Disc Special Edition
Jared Grace has discovered a mysterious field guide written by a distant relative that details a world of magical monsters and fantastic myth but not all is well in this “other world.” A dangerous ogre intent on stealing the book and using the information inside to destroy both the human world and the world of magic is on the loose and now Jared, his twin brother Simon, older sister Mallory and mother are all in danger. The book must not fall into the ogre Mulgarath’s hands or all is lost!
Man, fantasy is making a hardcore comeback, ain’t it? I would like to see some sword & sandal flicks but quality fantasy is quality fantasy so I can’t complain. The Spiderwick Chronicles, in my opinion, is one such quality fantasy film that will definitely appeal to Harry Potter fans as we get all sorts of cool magic and sweet monsters without the lame Christian allegory. Sorry Narnia-heads but I enjoyed this more.
The acting from both humans and creatures was solid and the CG creatures were far better than I’d expected them to be but…well…the whole thing was a rather predictable affair to be honest. I wasn’t really surprised by any of the character’s decisions nor was I in the slightest bit taken by surprise with the finale. Can a film be entertaining and still be predictable? Sure, I don’t see why not, it set out to tell a cute, entertaining coming-of-age story and it succeeded. I probably won’t watch this again but that’s not because it wasn’t good, it just wasn’t GOOD ENOUGH. Catch my drift? The Spiderwick Chronicles won’t be toppling The Wizard of Oz from its pedestal anytime soon.
Hey, this was good, clean fun and the whole family can safely watch this together! What’s not to love? I can’t say the replay value is high because the ending isn’t much of a mind-blower but I’m sure some of you have kids out there that’ll give this a few viewings before moving on to the next best thing. Until then, enjoy!
