Enjoyable, well made children's fantasy adventure with likeable characters, impressive special effects and a decent script.
Comment
10/18/08
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
79
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:138
Fresh:109
Rotten:29
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: The Spiderwick Chronicles is an entertaining children's adventure, with heart and imagination to spare.
Theatrical Release:21-03-2008
Synopsis: Based on the bestselling series of children's fantasy novels of the same name by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES follows the adventures of the Grace family, newly... [More]
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright
Director: Mark Waters
Reviews for The Spiderwick Chronicles
Unexpectedly gripping.
03/25/08
Top CriticA jolt of personality and above-average effects make this kids' fantasy adventure entertaining enough to overcome the cliches in its premise.
02/28/08
A late entry in a crowded field, Spiderwick works hard to set itself apart from the competition, and almost entirely succeeds - no mean feat these days.
03/20/08
Top CriticA run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure.
10/18/08
Top CriticSpiderwick 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.
05/01/08
It has plentiful whimsy, a big enough heart and Joan Plowright in one fine scene, burbling magnificently. It treats its archetypes with all due seriousness: Good must engage evil in a final stand. And fatherless children must try to save the world.
02/14/08
that perfect nexus of childlike wonder and the terrors of the id. In other words, the perfect fairy tale that is about much more than the magical creatures
02/13/08
Meticulously rendered CGI creatures spike this dark adventure, shot marvelously by Caleb Deschanel.
02/15/08
This movie didn't really blow me away, but it was mildly enjoyable and should keep all of the fantasy fans happy
07/22/08
Waters does ground his film in the real world, and more importantly he creates a real sense of the family dynamics before Jared opens the door to the world of goblins and woodland creatures.
02/17/08
It's always a pleasure to watch Highmore, one of the best child actors working today, and this time that pleasure is doubled because he plays a dual role.
02/24/08
Spiderwick Chronicles, thanks to its fine craftsmanship, is very much more than the same old bedtime stories, digitally gussied up for profit if not fun.
02/14/08
An enjoyable adventure fantasy sure to cast a spell over its audiences. But just as importantly, it weaves a story that resonates with spiritual truth.
02/14/08
Brevity works in the film's favor, turning a potential franchise headache into a delightful winter diversion brimming with revolting creatures, magical spells, and entertaining acts of mass goblin death.
02/13/08
Seen through the eyes of a child, this adaptation my lack originality but is fast paced, contains enough fantasy to balance the family drama and is, at times, very scary.
07/19/08
The degree of talent attached to Spiderwick Chronicles is exceptional. It's an unlikely assembly of people for a studio fantasy film, and perhaps that's what makes the picture so fresh.
02/14/08
The director does a nice job of juggling and blending the movie's tricky tones and storylines, which could have gone badly wrong at any juncture.
02/14/08
This adventure of preteens encountering a mythical realm lacks the scope of the other entries in the Harry Potter sweepstakes, but it still manages to provide scares and action for the under-12 set.
02/14/08
Director Mark Waters keeps Spiderwick moving like crazy, which frees it from the overblown quality that bogs down some of these fantasy epics.
02/13/08
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