A jolt of personality and above-average effects make this kids' fantasy adventure entertaining enough to overcome the cliches in its premise.

Lord of the Deathly Thingamabob

soy troei miamisi ora gia na se taksidepsei sto asfales symperasma poy eihe psiliastei sto pentalepto, oti i pasifismos san haraktiristiko toy floroy, einai epilogi mi biosimi, kai to kalo gia na epikratisei, prepei na brei kako na polemisei kai na katats

Spiderwick Chronicles provides lots of thrills and chills -- so much so that it may be too scary for younger viewers -- but it works best when it implies instead of showing.

Fast-paced and filled with neat special effects, it's a sure kid-pleaser, albeit one that suffers from the very elements that make it go down so easily.

It's inevitable with such fantasies, the storylines begin to have a familiar ring. Rry as they might, the filmmakers here are never totally successful in narrowing the gap between reality and fantasy as live action and fantastical special effects converge

As Spiderwick keeps time with the notion that kids' fantasies must feature bad, absent, or otherwise troubling parents, it also offers precious little in the way of clued-in adults.

Displays a lighter touch than other fantasy films of this nature, meaning that its thrills are all the more unexpected -- and effective.