... The house used to belong to their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick who mysteriously disappeared and their great-aunt Lucinda who went crazy. Then Jared finds Arthur Spiderwick's "Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You", which tells of the magical creatures that inhabit our world, ... Read review
From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house, strange things start to ... more
happen. As Jared (Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) investigates, he discovers Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide and the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate: a secret world with fantastical creatures hides within our own! Now Jared, his sister and his twin brother are pulled into an unforgettable adventure as they try to protect the secrets of the book. Based On The Beloved Series Of Best-Selling Books And Filled With Non-Stop Action. The Spiderwick Chronicles Is ''A Terrific Fantasy For All Ages!'' (Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV).
Their World Is Closer Than You Think:Unlock and explore the hidden world of the seen and ... more
unseen from The Spiderwick Chronicles movie. Battle strange and enchanted creatures in this spellbound world of eerie adventures as you fight to stop a rising evil.Play as Jared, Mallory, Simon or Thimbletack, each with unique abilities.Battle swarms of goblins and otherworldly creatures.Capture fantastical creatures and solve puzzles as you explore the Spiderwick estate.
Their World Is Closer Than You ThinkUnlock and explore the hidden world of the seen and ... more
unseen from The Spiderwick Chronicles movie. Battle strange and enchanted creatures in this spellbound world of eerie adventures as you fight to stop a rising evil.Use your Wii Remote to play as Jared, Mallory, Simon or Thimbletack.Battle swarms of goblins and otherworldly creatures.Capture fantastical creatures and solve puzzles as you explore the Spiderwick estate.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:Out of stock
Advantages: A lovely translation of the books' original style melded with strong writing, direction and acting. Disadvantages: It might be a bit too scary for younger children.
...are forced to move from the city out to the crumbling old Spiderwick Estate when their parents separate. The house used to belong to their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick who mysteriously disappeared and their great-aunt Lucinda who went crazy. Then Jared finds Arthur Spiderwick's "Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You", which tells of the magical creatures that inhabit our world, unseen by human eyes. He also encounters Thimbletack, ... ...Mulgarath. You see, the book gives great power to any that possess it and Mulgarath will do anything to get it. The only thing that keeps the Grace family safe from the ogre's army of goblins is an enchanted ring of toadstools that surrounds the house.
"Mean Girls" director Mark Waters makes a successful foray into family films with this entertaining and enjoyable adaptation of the books by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlezzi. ... more
Twins Jared and Simon Grace and their elder Sister Mallory are forced to move from the city out to the crumbling old Spiderwick Estate when their parents separate. The house used to belong to their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick who mysteriously disappeared and their great-aunt Lucinda who went crazy. Then Jared finds Arthur Spiderwick's "Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You", which tells of the magical creatures that inhabit our world, unseen by human eyes. He also encounters Thimbletack, a brownie sworn to protect the book from the ogre Mulgarath. You see, the book gives great power to any that possess it and Mulgarath will do anything to get it. The only thing that keeps the Grace family safe from the ogre's army of goblins is an enchanted ring of toadstools that surrounds the house.
"Mean Girls" director Mark Waters makes a successful foray into family films with this entertaining and enjoyable adaptation of the books by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlezzi. It's a film that resolutely refuses to talk down to a child audience. Waters doesn't feel the need to signpost everything, downplaying the family break-up where other directors would use it to try and emotionally blackmail the audience into caring for the characters. He knows he can rely on his actors to create that tension and emotional depth. The director establishes the familial relationships well and captures the sibling rivalry inherent in the brother-sister interactions and the tension between Jared and his mum, so the family doesn't feel too goody-goody. The effects work well in terms of having two versions of Freddie Highmore in the same scene. It doesn't look like he's been cut and pasted, there is good eye contact between the two versions and there's a strong sense of a relationship between the twins. Waters goes for a dark palette of colours in the opening segments of the film that set the tone for frights. There are lots of dark corners and shadowy voids, while Arthur Spiderwick's study is greyed-out enough to make it creepy. However its character changes with the judicious use of sepia as we flash back to the man himself, adding a sense of warm nostalgia further enhanced by creamy tones and slight soft focus. This is also reflected in the pages of the book with its browning pages and faded ink drawings of the myriad creatures.
Waters also isn't afraid to be scary. The action sequences are beautifully timed so you'll be jumping in all the appropriate places. And the computer generated creatures are very well integrated into the live-action setting so you feel the characters are really in danger. Not to mention the fact that some are pretty creepy to look at; especially the ravening Mole Troll. There are a good range of skin textures and each has a decent sense of weight and consistent movement. Thimbletack has rubbery skin and a whiskery face with cat-like liquid eyes, while Red Cap and his horde are warty and slimy looking. There are also simple physical effects that add to the concept of an unseen world, as we see the results of real characters being attacked by invisible foes, being dragged away, picked up in the air or scratched and bitten. But the simple wirework is so well timed you can see it as supernatural. The big finale plays out more like a home invasion than a fantasy film bringing a sense of tension to the proceedings while allowing you to wonder whether the forces of good will triumph. So there's plenty of action and adventure to keep families watching all through the ninety-seven minute running time.
The screenplay by Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles compresses all the books by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlezzi into a single story. This if course means there may be some disappointments for fans of the series as characters and situations are omitted. But overall I think the writing trio gets the balance right. The story is essentially a simple tale of good-versus-evil in a fantasy setting. But the narrative never feels too far-fetched because the characters are so well grounded in reality. The characters are introduced concisely and their relationships are clear with plenty of sibling rivalry and a stressed-out mother in the family. Jared and Simon are normal kids reacting in different ways to their parents' separation while Mallory is by turns protective and dismissive. Arthur Spiderwick is presented as a man obsessed and Great Aunt Lucinda as a delightfully dotty old lady. The good creatures such as Hogsqueal and Thimbletack have distinct personalities and their own personal obsessions, which make for moments of comedy. The bad guys are less characterful, but what they lack in personality, they make up for in numbers and nastiness. We don't see much of Mulgarath, but this makes him feel more dangerous and intriguing. There are lots of mini adventures along the way to keep the kids engaged, some of which are scary (so you might want to keep an eye on more sensitive children), some that are thrilling and others that afford a little humour. The dialogue is snappy and doesn't make heavy weather of the magical references.
Young Freddie Highmore continues to prove why he is one of the pre-eminent child actors in his dual role as Jared and Simon. He clearly differentiates between the two characters; playing Simon as tense, pedantic and cowardly, while Jared is the looser, more likeable risk-taking twin. A lot of it comes down to how Highmore holds himself - stiff and erect as Simon, with hunched shoulders and as Jared he's more elastic and the tension is limited to his face. You sense both characters have an inner life, though Jared is the more complete of the two roles just because we see more of him. And Highmore isn't bad at the American accent.
Sarah Bolger is well cast as the boys' elder sister Mallory. She has the superiority of the eldest sibling down pat without being a complete cow. She's a good feisty girl heroine who can be protective when necessary and has a nice line in sarcasm. I'm sure her fresh-faced good looks will also get the hearts of any teenage boys in the audience racing. The kids hold their own against more experienced players such as Mary Louise Parker as their mother and Joan Plowright doing one of her stock doddery old lady turns as Aunt Lucinda. David Strathairn is good value as Arthur Spiderwick, providing an authoritative introduction to the fairytale creatures and looking like he believes in every single one. Seth Rogen's vocal performance as Hogsqueal shows his stoner charm translates to voice-overs. Meanwhile Martin Short gives by far his least irritating turn as the voice of brownie Thimbletack and Nick Nolte has the right mix of menace and gravel in his voice to frighten as Mulgarath.
Composer James Horner goes for an atmospheric string-based score. His opening theme is surprisingly dark, using heartbeat-mimicking drums with deep strings and rising woodwind and string melodies to establish tension. To illustrate Jared's mental state, he employs melancholy strings with woodwinds for a phone-call with his absent father. He prods at our nerves with dark sighing strings and chimes when the kids hear mysterious knocking in the walls. Arthur Spiderwick's study is accompanied by insect-like strings and intriguing woodwinds. Rising percussion and chasing strings accompany the first encounter with an invisible creature. Thimbletack warrants his own theme of warm strings and flutes and a gryphon is accompanied by majestic brass and cymbal. Meanwhile the attacks by Mulgarath's minions are accompanied by tense rising brass. It's an accomplished score that fits the style and intentions of the film.
"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a film that will appeal to fantasy fans young and old. Director Mark Waters takes the style of the books and runs with it, integrating the real and imaginary brilliantly. He allows his cast enough latitude to create and sustain their characters. The writing is concise and sharp and the effects are accomplished. It's a great film for the whole family to watch together as there is something for everyone.
Advantages: Good family entertainment - great special effects. Disadvantages: Good film overall but not gripping. A bit of violence in there, which is a bit strong for PG.
...film. I had seen the series of books (The Spiderwick Chronicles) in Waterstones and so knew it was a children’s fantasy type film. The film starts off with a scene with Arthur Spiderwick carefully compiling his work into his book (or chronicle). The film then quickly fast forwards 80 years to a young family of mum, daughter and twin sons (both played by Freddie Highmore) coming to live in an imposing old house in the country. Helen Grace (the mum) ... ...separated from her husband. The reasons for this separation are not made clear until much later on in the film. Her son Jared in particular is having trouble accepting the new situation and is quite difficult to live with. Unusual things begin to happen; his sister wakes up with strands of her hair tied to the bedpost (if like me you have long hair, you will find this quite menacing). Her brother Jared gets the blame. He discovers the book written ...
LAURALILIA 11.04.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)
Advantages: good story, great acting and effects Disadvantages: may be too 'scary' for younger children
...a children’s film phase at the moment, maybe I am trying to re-capture my youth! I have fancied seeing this film for some time now so decided to treat myself to it last time I went into Tesco. The film is about a family of 4, the mother and 3 children who move to their Great Great Great Uncle Spiderwick’s old derelict house. When they arrive they discover that things are not as they seem. Their Great Great Aunt was taken from the home and put into ... ...Jared is not happy with the move as he wants to go and live with his Father. On this particular morning he stumbles across something in the walls of the house, he tries to find out what it is but gets into trouble for putting a hole in the wall. Soon he finds an old dumb waiter and decides to find out where it leads. He arrives in an old room which no one has been in for years and soon finds a mysterious creature who loves honey. Jared also makes ...
sewbizzie 23.04.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)
Advantages: great story and effects Disadvantages: can be scary for kids
...when it was released at the cinema and really enjoyed it, so I now have purchased it for my dvd collection, it is also on sky tv at the moment regularly. The dvd cost me £5.99 from amazon a few months ago which I thought was a good price to pay. The film starts off at night with Arthur Spiderwick, a man who has wrote a book about evil mystical creatures and tries to hide it as you later find out in the film that it holds secrets that the creatures ... ...in an asylam. The film then continues 80 years later and now introduces Arthurs relatives, Helen Grace, her daughter and her twin son's who are going to live in the house, again you later find out what made them want to move there and you get an insight into Arthur's life and what the book means. The action starts quite quickly in the film which I like as you tend to find some films that drag on at first. The story in my opinion centres around one ...
pompeysmick11 12.04.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)
Advantages: Great for children. Makes them want to read. Disadvantages: Doesn't appeal to older people like HP films
It seems to be the craze of late to turn children's fantasy novels into films. We've had Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, The Lord of the Rings (though not really a children's novel) and now we have the Spiderwick Chronicles a film which is based on a whole series of books rather than anyone. The Spiderwick Chronicles starts off with Arthur Spider wick (played by David Straitharn) compiling his field guide to the secret world around us. He has discovered ... ...how to see them.
The film then moves on 80 years in time and Arthur Spiderwick has disappeared many years ago and is obviously thought dead. His daughter has been sectioned to an asylum and now his granddaughter and her children move into his old house. The family has just spilt from their father and this has left Jared (Freddie Highmore) angry and rebellious. He doesn't get on with his mother, his bossy sister or his clever twin brother also played ...
Phelthew 28.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)
Advantages: Good cast and characters, magical, fantasy, easy to watch. Disadvantages: None for me.
...that you might enjoy watching the shenanigans of these little creatures in the Spiderwick Chronicles. This film is rated as PG and it is really a children's film but I guess that it will appeal to a wide age range of viewer. In fact if I was still a child, a proper one I mean, I think that it would be a little to frightening for me. However, with children these days being made of hardier stuff, I think that the Spiderwick Chronicles is good all round ... ...The story centres around the Grace family who, as their father has recently moved out of the family home, have to move to somewhere that they can afford. The Mum and three children move into a old mansion house in the country which used to belong to a distant great uncle and aunt. Within a short space of time strange things start to happen in this old house and it becomes evident that something else is living with them. Is it a person? No. Suffice ...
grafter123 10.09.2008 (07.10.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles (DVD)
Contains scary moments and moderate fantasy violence
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Spiderwick: It's All True!, It's A Spiderwick World!, Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital
DVD Description
The children's fantasy series from Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi leaps off the pages and onto the screen with this star-studded adaptation. The Grace family may depart New York City for a quieter home, but excitement isn't far away when they move into the strange family house in the country.
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