Released: 2008
Rating: PG
Time: 101 Minutes
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My Family Friendly Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Although my family & I watched this movie several weeks ago, I have debated reviewing it here. Depending on your take of fantasy / fairy-tale type movies, this movie may or may not be right up your alley.
Overview
Starring Freddie Highmore (one of my favorite child actors these days), Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte (almost entirely unrecognizable in this film) and many more, it tells the story of a family impacted by divorce. Jared and Simon, twins both played by Highmore, their sister and mother move to a family-owned house that had been long abandoned.
Jared, a prankster, is sullen about his parents divorce and desperate to live with his father. As the rest of his family attempts to acclimate to their new surroundings, Jared finds himself getting into trouble for events that are somewhat unexplainable. Upon further investigation of a trunk in the attic, Jared discovers a sealed magical book, The Spiderwick Chronicles, with a warning not to open it. Of course, being the precocious young man he is, he does not pay attention to the warning, and opens not only a book, but a portal to a world of goblins, fairies and a very menacing ogre. The story takes them far into the past, and deep into a mystical world of fantastical proportions.
My Review
My family and I *loved* this movie. It is fantasy, and although there are some pretty intense and scary moments, my girls watched this movie over and over. I think the idea of the child hero (like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz) is fascinating to children – and the battle of Good vs. Evil is really the prevailing theme.
As the family encounters more mystical creatures, they also confront some of their own family dynamics and turmoil, resolving issues and building family unity.
WARNING: There are some intense, and even violent, moments that may scare young children. That’s why I gave a 3 1/2 star family-friendly rating. There is a stabbing, the goblins are a bit scary, and the ogre is quite terrifying at times. My youngest daughter would turn her eyes at scary moments, but both of my daughters seemed to grasp the idea of good vs. evil. The children in the movie, also utter “oh my g…” several times.
The movie is based on a book series by the same title, and basically condensed into one film. It is exciting, it is entertaining, and it is adventurous. It is also rife with deep metaphors about fatherhood and family. If you enjoy magical movies set in worlds of fantasy, you might really enjoy The Spiderwick Chronicles.
About DebbieTaylor
I enjoyed this movie too. My kids only watched parts of it because they got too scared. But to be honest, I never thought of metaphor as I watched it and now that you have mentioned it, it is true. I will have to watch it again, I love any thing lately that is in support of families.