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 transplanted from New York
City to an inherited home in the remote New England woods. Angry with
his mother (Mary-Louise Parker) about the move, the sulky Jared (Freddie
Highmore) begin to explore the strange old house, and discovers a
magical tome written by his great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David
Strathairn). Soon Jared and his twin brother, Simon (also played by
Highmore with the aid of seamless special effects), are drawn into a
realm of goblins, boggarts, and ogres--a reality that coexists with the
human world. By the time the boys' older sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger),
is in on their secret, the siblings are steeped in a conflict with the
evil shape-shifting ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), who will stop at
nothing to get Spiderwick's book.Directed by Mark Waters (THE HOUSE OF
YES, MEAN GIRLS) and scripted in part by lauded filmmaker John Sayles
(THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH), SPIDERWICK succeeds as an engaging
kid-oriented movie that also offers up genuine thrills and chills for
adults. Highmore and Bolger impressively mask their British and Irish
accents, respectively, and display a convincing brother/sister bond,
while Martin Short and Seth Rogen provide comic relief as the voices of
unlikely CGI allies. Intentionally smaller in scope than other
like-minded literary adaptations such as THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and
THE GOLDEN COMPASS, SPIDERWICK is rooted in a beautifully earthy,
antique aesthetic that provides the perfect setting for its likable
protagonists and bizarre-yet-naturalistic creatures.