The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  A fun childrens movie. Both my daughters 7 and 9 liked it. good effects and Freddie Highmore was excellent.

• Michael E

  
  This was one of the most imaginative films ide ever seen and it still is fantastic to watch even 3 years after its release and ill have to admit it, i did cry at the end of the movie

• Alexander D

  
  Even though the five-book saga was CLEARLY meant to be a motion picture, the movie it turned out as was not faithful and skipped a lot of crucial detail. Typical when you're adapting 600+ pages into an hour and thirty-seven minutes of screen-time.

• Brad W

  
  Not bad, it really was fun actually. This isn't something amazing and a lot of people will forget about it, but it is a really good adaption and sure deserves some recognition.

• Justin Y

  
  Mark Waters delivers a high caliber fantasy adventure with <i>The Spiderwick Chronicles</i>.<p>At roughly 90 minutes, this picture makes the most of it by successfully setting up characters quite swiftly, yet successfully. More than half of the film also takes place… More
  Mark Waters delivers a high caliber fantasy adventure with <i>The Spiderwick Chronicles</i>.<p>At roughly 90 minutes, this picture makes the most of it by successfully setting up characters quite swiftly, yet successfully. More than half of the film also takes place at a single house and it's surrounding yard, but that is hardly a flaw because the story is entertaining enough to keep the setting from becoming stale.</p><p>The CG is great, although not the best, and once the fantasy characters show up, they are there to stay for the duration of the picture. There isn't an abundance in the variety of the creatures, but that is hardly a flaw, since the characters that do exist are more than enough to fill this movie.</p><p>The acting is a plus and the younger cast members are the ones to carry the film. Freddie Highmore gets the chance to play a set of twin brothers while Sarah Bolger plays the sister. It's also hard to argue when the supporting cast contains Mary-Louise Parker and the voices of Nick Nolte, Martin Short, and Seth Rogen.</p><p><i>The Spiderwick Chronicles</i> has a solid story and it becomes a fantasy film for all ages. It is high on the recommend list.</p>

• Robert C

  
  Felt like it tried to pack too much into too little time and in doing so failed to develope the characters and back stories as much as I would have liked. But it was fun, for the most part.

• Jens S

  
  This fantasy film's problem has to be the uncertain target audience. There is too much action and scary creatures for the little ones, and the older kids may find it all a bit too kitschy and childish. Fact is, the film is fast paced, entertaining and (mostly) has some great… More
  This fantasy film's problem has to be the uncertain target audience. There is too much action and scary creatures for the little ones, and the older kids may find it all a bit too kitschy and childish. Fact is, the film is fast paced, entertaining and (mostly) has some great production design and pretty images for everyone who decides to get into it. Sure, the kids' constant fighting can get annoying at times, but there is always enough going on to keep you entertained. The showdown is pretty exciting, even reminds of From Dusk till Dawn at times. But that also tells you that younger kids may still want to stay away from this for a few more years. Decent.

• Richard C

  
  B

• Alexis N

  
  it was a touching and magical family flick with some pretty scary parts.. ogres are frightening.

• paul s

  
  There are "children's movies" that, while aimed at a young audience, still manage to engage and entertain an older crowd; but in this film I was constantly aware that it was written for children, to be viewed by children... almost as if I were an interloping adult who… More
  There are "children's movies" that, while aimed at a young audience, still manage to engage and entertain an older crowd; but in this film I was constantly aware that it was written for children, to be viewed by children... almost as if I were an interloping adult who should have no business watching this, let alone reviewing it. Certainly, with an "eyes of a child" perspective I'm sure that the film works on several levels (though might be too scary for really young ones), but as an (alleged)adult it came across, in spite of some nice moments, competent CGI and the usually marvelous performance from Joan Plowright, as a paint by numbers fantasy, where all the motivations and plot elements were mapped out in very big strokes less the kiddies miss anything. I don't know why I felt this way about this particular film - Pan's Labyrinth and Narnia (and of course the Potter series) were all addapted from children's books, but those never gave me the feeling that I'd walked into a Chucky Cheese birthday party for 10 year olds. Regardless, this film was far better than another "childrens' film, The Gold Compass - I just wish I could put my finger on why I didn't enjoy this more, as there was really nothing odious about the children's performances, and while the script seemed a bit cliche in places, the dialogue wasn't bad, or badly delivered... but somehow it had an afternoon tv special feel to it.

• Red L

  
  I liked this movie. It is a combination of adventure, scary, family, good and evil, ogres and goblins. I liked the actors, except I'm never that keen when one actor (in this case, Freddie Highmore) plays the parts of both twins in the movie. Watch it, you won't be sorry.

• Dead A

  
  It was a nice movie :)

• Leigh R

  
  I had a hard time getting into this one in the beginning. But once I sat myself down and watched it, it was great. Very cool!

• Film C

  
  its a great light hearted childs movie movie with a great magical storyline reli worth a watch freddie highmoore is fantstic as usual

• Dean !

  
  A great little enchanting, magical film with some great characters and creatures in it. The kids all act very well and it's good the film is set in modern times with typical everyday kids in a common situation. If you're under 16 this would probably get 5 stars, but… More
  A great little enchanting, magical film with some great characters and creatures in it. The kids all act very well and it's good the film is set in modern times with typical everyday kids in a common situation. If you're under 16 this would probably get 5 stars, but it's enjoyable for big kids too.

• Curtis L

  
  It looked pretty on my new tv, but I was at the table working and didn't mind missing some of it.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Their World Is Closer Than You Think"</i> Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novels The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the tale of the Graces, a family who must adapt to their new strange surroundings. As the story begins, twin brothers… More
  <i>"Their World Is Closer Than You Think"</i> Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novels The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the tale of the Graces, a family who must adapt to their new strange surroundings. As the story begins, twin brothers Jared and Simon, along with their sister Mallory and their mother, move away from the big city to a mansion owned by their uncle. When a series of strange happenings suggest that Jared may be causing a number of disturbances, the siblings band together to figure out what is going on. Soon they discover the magical history of the property. <b><u>Review</u></b> Despite a couple of setbacks, Spiderwick Chronicles comes out strong mixing a good amount of family fun and delicious CG effects. For every big hit success like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter there's always the not-so-big and barely unnoticed The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (bet you haven't heard of it) and Bridge to Terabithia. Personally, I think Spiderwick Chronicles belongs with Harry Potter and LotR. It was a commercial success and most critics loved it. They incorporated all key elements in all five books and made it compact and neat in such a short amount of time. Whereas Harry Potter's saga is still on-going, Spiderwick Chronicles got the job done in a 90+ minute motion picture. The storyline is well done, the acting is quite good. From Freddie Highmore's dual roles to Sarah Bolger and Mary-Louise Parker, they gave very convincing acts. Nick Nolte is a bad guy, Martin Short is a rat (I think) and Seth Rogen is a bird eating hog. All is well in Spiderwick land and I had a good time watching it. If you need your daily dose of some fantasy treat, this movie is highly recommended.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Speed Racer - I was wary of this film from the first frame. I think the original [i]Speed Racer[/i] cartoon is dopey and insipid. I didn't really want to pay to have my retinas destroyed by the candy-coated color scheme of the big-budget movie. But I… More
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Speed Racer - I was wary of this film from the first frame. I think the original [i]Speed Racer[/i] cartoon is dopey and insipid. I didn't really want to pay to have my retinas destroyed by the candy-coated color scheme of the big-budget movie. But I must say, I didn't hate this movie and that's a major accomplishment. That's not to say Speed Racer is a good movie; its script is cheesy, the dialogue is silly, the comedy is dead on arrival, and many of the races end up becoming incoherent flashes of color and noise. But God help me, the Wachowski brothers have produced a unique movie experience that will likely induce epileptic seizures. [i]Speed Racer[/i] has way too much plot going on for a cartoon about a kid who races a fast car. The movie reminds me in a lot of ways of the [i]Wacky Races[/i] cartoon where the various teams have theme-driven cars. This provides for plenty of outlandish action sequences that manage to tickle the senses, that is, when the images are somewhat stable. The movie aspires to be a "family film" and with that comes the half-hearted moral message (corporations are evil) and a reminder that family is important. Did I mention there's also a monkey that gets treated like a member of the family? The movie sometimes feels like the cinematic equivalent of an ice cream headache, but you're unlikely to see anything like it again in the near future. That may be both a good and a bad thing. Nate's Grade: C+ Then She Found Me - Actress Helen Hunt's directorial debut is an altogether pleasant film experience without achieving anything memorable or truly accomplished. It's a simple story of a 40-something grade school teacher (Hunt) torn between her man-boy husband (Matthew Broderick) and a student's hot father (Colin Firth, who seems to be a middle-aged woman's dream come true). The extra plotline where Hunt discovers the identity of her biological mother (Bette Midler) never truly seems to coalesce with the romantic foibles. [i]Then She Found Me[/i] has a noticeably wry tone, like that of a world-weary adult that's been-there-done-that. That specific and welcomed tone helps keep the viewer alert and mostly satisfied from beginning to end. It isn't a warm or sappy movie despite some sitcom-level plot complications. The acting is fairly amusing, though somewhat one-note (the foursome of actors rarely break from the one-sentence descriptions of their characters). The most shocking aspect of the flick is how weathered and gaunt Hunt looks, which is a refreshing and realistic turn for the actress. Hunt is competent behind the camera but doesn't prove much else when it comes to directorial skills. [i]Then She Found Me[/i] is a mildly affecting movie that passes the time well. Stick around to catch acclaimed author Salman Rushdie as Hunt's OB-GYN. Nate's Grade: B The Spiderwick Chronicles - This imaginative fantasy family film is adapted from five books from the [i]Spiderwick[/i] series, so you'll be forgiven for thinking that it packs a lot of storylines at a brisk pace. This 97-minute film should appeal to all members of the family because, while derivative, it has plenty of action, interesting fantasy characters, and even some palpable thrills. The movie has a better handle over interspersing psychological real-world drama with the monsters. Freddie Highmore is the best special effect in the film as he plays two twins who are vastly different in personality and temperament. Director Mark Waters ([i]Mean Girls[/i]) deals with the fantastic but also makes the film feel grounded, never letting the otherworldly elements to take over. The movie is a modestly entertaining escapade. Nate's Grade: B Drillbit Taylor - This is a case where a movie feels stuck between two different aims. The premise of a group of geeks hiring a bodyguard to protect them from high school bullies feels dramatically dated, like an idea that John Hughes could have cranked out over a weekend in the 1980s. Owen Wilson stars as a homeless Army vet that agrees to be the bodyguard but he intends to fleece the kids of their money. Eventually the film culminates in the geek trio violently fighting the bully, which is kind of a weird climax to a mainstream teen-centered film. The main bully is actually psychotically dangerous and the movie exists in a realm where every adult character is a cretin or a moron. Don't even think about security in the school. The jokes aren't as lively or clever as the movie would like to think, but special credit must be awarded for collecting a group of teen actors that look authentically geeky. [i]Drillbit Taylor[/i] is a safe vehicle for Wilson because he's played a variation of this zen-cool character in many movies. I'm honestly surprised that Seth Rogen is a co-writer and that Judd Apatow produced this flick. This is noticeable below their standards. This movie isn't anything special and it's tonally all over the place, but then it does have some funny situations, some amusing character interplay, and some dependable slapstick. Think of it as a sanitized PG version of [i]Superbad[/i] combined with an 80s movie. Nate's Grade: C+ Deception - Is there a more tired and pathetic genre of filmmaking than that of the erotic thriller? [i]Deception[/i] is just about as lazy and bland as its title. The casting director got every role wrong. Ewan McGregor is an accounting nerd that befriends a swanky playboy (Hugh Jackman) and they accidentally switch phones. Of course this leads to people mistaking an accounting nerd for a swanky playboy, and McGregor is introduced to an underground web of anonymous sex (hasn't anyone heard about craig's list?). I suppose the rich would rather take a chance on a stranger than have their handlers recruit some tail. Michelle Williams is completely wrong as the femme fatale who OF COURSE is in on the scheme. [i]Deception[/i] plays out exactly as you could predict, and it even bears a somewhat strong resemblance to 2005's [i]Derailed[/i], another mediocre thriller of little thrills. The chilly cinematography by Dante Spinotti is way too good for this kind of film. It seems that erotic thrillers have graduated from soft focus close-ups of copulating couples set to saxophone music to ? soft focus close-ups of copulating couples set to electronica beats. I suppose that's progress for a genre defined by ridiculous plots, unrealistic characters acting like idiots, and, oh yeah, boobs. Nate's Grade: C[/color][/font]

• Morgan G

  
  Incredibly inventive world, greatly enjoyable.

• Gordon A

  
  Smashing children's fantasy tale with believable special effects and a fully formed pretext. Highmore is lovable but struggles with the enforced american accent. Strathairn looks bewildered. Fine for young children but the family life lessons are a bit trite.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings