Prismark10 The Spiderwick Chronicles is a family adventure but although an adaptation of a series of books it lacks the wonder of the Harry Potter films but is a decent solid adventure in its own right.A newly divorced mother Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) moves with her children Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore) into an haunted old house in upstate New York that was once owned by her great uncle, a naturalist Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn) who vanished and his now elderly daughter ended up in an asylum.Jared discovers a book written by Spiderwick that has a warning which is ignored. The book is a field guide explaining that the estate is inhabited by various mystical creatures such as goblins and fairies.The evil Lord Mulgrath wants to destroy the book but the house has various protection including creatures that protect the book from falling into the wrong hands. The Grace kids embark on a magical and dangerous adventure.The film is economical and set at a brisk pace but it is no more than middling despite some indie sensibilities the film has such as John Sayles as one of the screenwriters.

richieandsam THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLESI have seen this film once before and real enjoyed it, but there wasn't much I remembered about it... which made it all the more exciting to see it again because it was like watching a new film again.The movie is about a single mother and her 3 children that have just moved into a house in the country. the house used to belong to Arthur Spiderwick. What the family are not expecting is to be in the middle of a world full of fairies and goblins that are trying to kill everyone.The story is a lot of fun and the film is generally well written. I enjoyed the adventure these kids go on. It has a lot of twists and turns that keep you watching. I loved the idea of only seeing the goblins if they want to be seen. There is a way of seeing themThe effects are very good. I loved the look of the goblins and creatures. I thought it might have been a little scary for little children, but this is a good family movie.The acting wasn't too bad either considering it had child actors in. The movie stars Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Sarah Bolger, Andrew McCarthy and Joan Plowright. I am a fan of Freddies. I thought he was OK in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I like him even more in Bates Motel. He has to play 2 parts in this movie and I thought he did a good job considering he had to play 2 different personalities. Mary also did a good job.This film is a lot more fun than it got credit for. It should have had a better reception I feel from the critics. If you like fantasy movies, then this film is one to watch.I will give it 7 out of 10."Vengeance or death!... Hopefully vengeance."For more reviews, please like my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl

SanteeFats An extremely well done and entertaining movie. When her husband dumps the family, mom and the three kids move back to daddy's old home. Aunt Lucinda, daddy's sister has been taken to a booby hatch because she sees fairy's so the house appears abandoned. Surprise! There is a brownie (Thimbletack) living in the house. He is there to protect a book written by Arthur Spiderwick before he disappeared many years ago. In this book Spiderwick has identified the unseen world. This book is sought by the king nasty fey Mulgarath. Nick Nolte has what is basically a cameo playing Mulgarath as an old man (he does the voice as well). He looks almost as bad here as in his mug shots. The CGI in this film is some of the best I have seen. When Thimbletack gets angry he transforms into another creature, the transformation is done seamlessly to my eye. He is brought back when given honey. The other excellent transformations are when Mulgarath shape shifts at different points in the movie. The fight scene between the sister and the unseen goblins is so well done. One of the twin brothers can see them using a special ring and calls out their positions to his sister using clock times. I can recommend this movie for the entire family it is just well done, funny, and serious.

Leofwine_draca THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES is a perfectly entertaining children's fantasy film that provides a neat alternative to those viewers who've overdosed on Harry Potter's antics. This one is a neat, standalone tale of mythical monsters and invisible beasties, and the three kids who have to fight them in an old, crumbling house in the remote countryside.The film provides plenty of action and lots of special effects (CGI, of course), which are for the most part very well achieved. There's humour (some of which, like the Seth Rogen character, I could have done without), scary scenes, and a great deal of imagination. It's all very familiar and rather predictable - in fact, I had virtually the same idea for a story like this, once - but there's little to dislike.Okay, so the script could have been a little tighter; there's a little too much yelling and shrillness early on, before the characters of the protagonists are given a chance to come out. The casting of Freddie Highmore in the dual role is very good, though, and something I didn't spot until about halfway through. Sarah Bolger, late of THE TUDORS, is excellent as ever. The director could have been better, but as I said, there's little to dislike in this one.