Loaded with terrific performances, beautifully rendered CGI creatures, and directed with finesse by Mark Waters (Mean Girls), The Spiderwick Chronicles is a hugely entertaining fantasy film for the whole family (except maybe those under 5 who may be scared silly by Nick Nolte and/or the hideous ogre he plays). While some fantasy films overwhelm the actors with their extensive use of computer generated imagery - the CGI work can overpower the flesh and blood actors, no matter how powerful or engaging the performances - The Spiderwick Chronicles manages to work the CGI creatures seamlessly into the film. The special effects, which are as good as any we’ve seen, never eclipse the film’s human actors. Director Waters and screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum, and John Sayles have created a movie that’s very much grounded in reality, as strange as that sounds, even though half of its inhabitants are mythical creatures.

The Story

Fairies, goblins, griffins, and assorted beasties do exist according to the world of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Twins Jared and Simon along with sister Mallory (a whiz with a sword) find out things that go bump in the night can actually do harm when they move into the creaky old house once occupied by their great-great uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn) and his daughter (Joan Plowright).

Arthur Spiderwick spent his adult life investigating and documenting the strange creatures most people have no idea exist. All of his research and hard work is contained in a journal he called Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. Jared, the twin who’s always in some kind of trouble, finds the book hidden away in an old trunk while chasing down a noise in the wall. The noise turns out to be a house brownie named Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short). The honey-loving creature tells Jared to stay away from the book, but his words fall on deaf ears. Although there’s a warning attached to the book, Jared breaks open the sealed volume and dives in, reading the text throughout the night.

This book is so valuable that Arthur was abducted by creatures and kept in a state of suspended animation for decades in order to keep him away from evil goblins, led by the horrible Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), who want to possess its knowledge. If Mulgarath gets his hands on the book, he’ll be able to destroy all the fairies and other extraordinary critters.

The book itself is safe as long as it remains within the protective circle which surrounds the Spiderwick estate. But after Jared’s curiosity gets the best of him, Mulgarath quickly learns Arthur isn’t the only one with complete knowledge of his secret world. Unwittingly, Jared puts his entire family at risk and it’s up to the three Grace kids to outsmart an age-old ogre and restore order to the fairy universe.

The Cast

Freddie Highmore plays both twins and while it must have been a schizophrenic experience figuring out who to be and where to look during filming, the fact it’s the same actor in both roles is, thankfully, in no way distracting. Jared and Simon are the main characters and one or both are on the screen for the majority of the film, and if Highmore pulling double duty was either confusing or too gimmicky, Spiderwick Chronicles would have been just another poor film adaptation of a best-selling book series. But Highmore’s got the talent to make it work and he does so while pulling off a decent American accent.

Highmore’s main support onscreen comes in the form of Sarah Bolger who really brings the put-upon older sister part to life (Bolger has mastered the irritated glare). Strathairn, Plowright, Nolte, and Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker as the mom are all strong in supporting roles. Add in voice work by Martin Short as the honey-chugging angry little Thimbletack and Seth Rogen as Hogsqueal the bird-eating beastie and it’s impossible to find a weak link in the entire group.

The Bottom Line

Family issues such as dealing with divorce and sibling rivalry are just as important to the Spiderwick Chronicles story as the battle between the Grace kids and Mulgarath and his legion of goblins. There are plenty of action sequences to keep the story speeding along, but time’s also taken to develop the characters into real children facing real problems. While real kids don’t have to worry about an ogre breaking into their home or learn how to ride a griffin in order to rescue a long-lost family member, there’s a lot to relate to with the three Grace kids.

Tasked to condense The Spiderwick Chronicles book series into one film, screenwriters Kirkpatrick, Berenbaum, and Sayles were able to remain true to the spirit of Tony DiTerlizzi’s and Holly Black’s kid-friendly books. The movie version of The Spiderwick Chronicles is an engaging, adventurous tale filled with all sorts of intriguing and entertaining characters. It’s one film the entire family can take in together and that’s something you can’t often say. Even those that are supposedly family-friendly productions often play out over the heads of the younger audience or bore adults to tears. Fortunately, The Spiderwick Chronicles does neither.

Rebecca Murray
Hollywood Movies Guide

There is not one universe, but there are many, which is a multiverse. Supposing you are just one person, there are many other versions of you in the other universes, there are ways to travel, but only a police agency,MVA, can travel only for police procedures. Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li)is a former MVA agent, who killed another version of himself in self-defense. It made the other versions of him stronger. When Yulaw found out about this, he became power-hungry killing the 122 other versions for two years. After killing Lawless (also played by Jet)and getting captured by his former partner Roedecker (Delroy Lindo) and a new MVA agent Funsch (Jason Statham) Yulaw managed to escape the prison and is trying to kill his last target, Gabe Law (also played by Jet) who is a police officer. He is also at Yulaw’s strength. Roedecker and Funsch now have to arrest Yulaw before he can kill Gabe. There is a possibility that the universe could die or make Yulaw invinible. After encountering Yulaw for the first time, Gabe thought that it was his split personality, but it wasn’t. Will Gabe be able to confront Yulaw before or after Yulaw ruins his life? Written by Zero 88

(more…)

In the near future, cloning is now technically advanced, but human cloning is still illegal. Adam Gibson (Schwarzenegger) returns home after working with his friend Hank Morgan (Rapaport), only to find a clone of himself with his family. Before he has chance to find out the truth, he is attacked by a group who want him dead. Adam must escape and find out the truth from the creator of the clones, Michael Drucker (Goldwyn). Adam knows for sure you couldn’t have been cloned, but isn’t ready for what he’s about to hear. Written by simon

(more…)

The story of irreverent supernatural detective John Constantine, who has literally been to Hell and back. When Constantine teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost. Written by unit publicist/WB

(more…)

After escaping from the alien planet, the ship carrying Ellen Ripley crashes onto a remote and inhabited ore refinery. While living in the ore refinery until she is rescued by her employers, Ripley discovers the horrifying reason for her crash: An alien stowaway. As the alien matures and begins to kill off the inhabitants, Ripley is unaware that her true enemy is more than just the killer alien. Written by Kerwin Tsang {kertsang@yahoomail.com}

(more…)

Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly receives written word from his friend, Doctor Emmett Brown, as to where can be found the DeLorean time machine. However, an unfortunate discovery prompts Marty to go to his friend’s aid. Using the time machine, Marty travels to the old west where his friend has run afoul of a gang of thugs and has fallen in love with a local schoolteacher. Using the technology from the time, Marty and Emmett devise one last chance to send the two of them back to the future. Written by Vampire Sharpshooter

(more…)