Saturday, February 16, 2008

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICALS




Fantasy adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
David Strathairn: explorer and scientist Arthur Spiderwick
Sarah Bolger: 15-year-old Mallory
Freddie Highmore: her younger twin brothers Jared and Simon
Mary-Louise Parker: their mother Helen
Joan Plowright: Arthur’s daughter Lucinda (Lucy)

REVIEW
Two things make movies geared to children interesting to adults:
1. The story appeals to the child in us
2. There are double entendres for adults only that leave the children wondering “what are they laughing at?”

Unfortunately this one only meets the first criteria so it is a bit of a bore having to sit through one more version of the classic “children-overcome-monsters” movie.

One thing that is impressive though is the CGI. These computer-generated images are seamlessly incorporated with the live action to the point it’s almost impossible to tell what’s real and what’s pure fantasy.

CLASSIFICATION
for scary creature action (but not too scary) and violence, peril and thematic elements.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
According to an intertitle the opening events took place 80-years ago which would have been in 1928. But on the bookshelf Jared rummages through there are several books published after that date, one as late as 1933.

The inhabitants are subjected to a serious attack by some of the creatures and the house sustains a lot of damage in the process. But you wouldn’t know it from the overhead crane shot near the end of the movie, as it never looked better.

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