Tangled web
‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Nick Nolte, Mary-Louise Parker
Directed by: Mark Waters
Rating: 1 1/2 stars out of four
As a child, our imaginations are endless. Vivid worlds and imaginary creatures are only a daydream away. These fantasies easily come to life in blockbuster movies like ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’
Unfortunately for Nickelodeon’s ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles,’ not even the make-believe is captivating. The fantasy world is not imaginative enough, and is barely revived by its eclectic cast.
Based on a series of best-selling children’s books by Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black, the movie centers on the Grace family, who moves from New York City to a house formally owned by their great, great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick. As said in the film, it is a ‘big creepy house in the middle of nowhere.’
From the beginning, the storyline is predictable: Father-less family moves to old family property, finds a secret book that unlocks a world of mystical invisible creatures, like fairies and boggarts, who attack the house in an attempt to take the book and destroy the world. The creatures can only be seen through a seeing stone or magic spit, which adds a certain ‘eww’ factor to the already unexciting film.
However, it’s unexplained why the audience can sometimes see the fairies, and why, at other times, it cannot. The world of fairies, brownies, hobgoblins and sprites is created to bring the imagination to life. However, it falls flat on screen with the viewer uninvolved.
One bright spot comes from actor Freddie Highmore, who does double duty in the film playing 9-year-old twins Jared and Simon Grace, typical twins who are polar opposites. No matter what role he plays Highmore shines – he’s adorable, in that little kid sort of way, and a great actor.
The rest of ‘Spiderwick’s’ cast reads like a rag-tag group of actors, many of whom you wouldn’t expect to see in a film by Nickelodeon Movies: Mary-Louise Parker, from HBO’s ‘Weeds,’ plays mother Helen Grace and there’s the voice talents of Martin Short and Nick Nolte, best known for his mug shot rather than his acting chops.
Seth Rogen of ‘Knocked Up’ fame adds some funny moments as the voice of awkward Hogsqueal the hobgoblin. A pig-like being dressed in an old man sweater and obsessive about birds, still Hogsqeal is moderately funny at best.
Adding to the downfall of the film, there are a few scenes that are clearly heisted from other better films. Fans of ‘Harry Potter’ will notice a griffin that takes a leisurely flight through the clouds and a shape-shifting goblin that tries to take the all-important book.
The house, like in the film ‘Jumanji,’ is ravaged by the beasts and, in the end, completely ruined. The plot runs through too quickly and ultimately leaves the viewer with nothing more than questions.
An awkward combination of modernity, lack of innovation and a weak storyline doom a movie that failed to capture imagination of its book counterpart.
Published on February 7, 2008 at 12:00 pm
