CRITIQUE

As anyone could probably guess, the success of the Harry Potter series resulted in a glut of fantasy series for kids crowding bookshelves. This trend was bound to make its way to the multiplex as well. This film can count itself in that category. As family entertainment, The Spiderwick Chronicles mixes action and humor performed by an impressive cast with a story that is a bit derivative but still fun.

The magical creatures that fill this story all have their bases in classical mythologies but recent familiarity with them has probably come most from the Harry Potter series. The story feels mostly unoriginal because of this. Aside from the odd addition you won’t find in Potter, like sylphs, the creatures aren’t fresh. Every attempt has clearly been made to make them feel like their own entities, especially in the way they look, but this only goes so far. A boggart, goblins-- there’s even a gryphon (read: hippogriff) ride!

The family element is what sets this story apart. When the film opens, we learn that the kids’ father has left the family and that Jared believes he will return to get them. Later, Jared learns that his father actually left with another woman, which sets up emotional stakes that lead to the only truly “Whoa!” moment of the film-- the arrival of the father which turns out to be the villain Mulgarath in disguise. Jared is able to see through the ruse and stab the ogre. This is the climax of the film action-wise but also emotionally. Following this, Jared apologizes to his mother for his sullen behavior and sweetly asks to stay with her. If you don’t tear up at this, you have ice water in your veins!

Highmore carries this scene off seemingly effortlessly. Add to this the feat of creating two distinct characters, as he plays both twins, and that he is doing American accents, and he is clearly one of the strongest child actors working. The adults here are just as solid. Parker is an underused actress and should get more work than she does, while Strathairn and Joan Plowright are always classy presences. Plus, there’s Nick Nolte (as one of Mulgarath’s himan forms) and Andrew McCarthy (as the dad)! Director Waters makes great use of them and of seamless visual effects. The Spiderwick Chronicles satisfies in many ways, including acting, directing, and visual effects, though the story lacks complete originality.

THE VIDEO

Widescreen is a reliable format for picture and color transfer, of course, and this 2-disc set is no exception. The home viewing experience is most like the theatrical in this format.

THE AUDIO

The English track is in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, of course, and it is excellent for the sound here. The French and Spanish tracks are also in the format, a nice addition that’s becoming more common. Subtitles for all three languages are also offered.

THE EXTRAS

“Spiderwick: It’s All True!”-- Director Mark Waters takes the viewer through all the fantastical creatures of the film in this extra. It’s a nice overview, though a bit silly because he begins with the claim that what we see in the film is “all true.”

“It’s A Spiderwick World”-- This is a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at how the books were begun and then made into a film. As Waters mentions in the extra above, the authors of the books, Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, say that they received a letter from three children who claimed to have actually discovered all the magical creatures really living in our world. (I personally have my doubts this is true, simply because so many of the creatures are found in Harry Potter.) Waters comments on how he came to the project and that they wanted to appeal to all ages.

“Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide”-- Interactive versions of pages of the “Field Guide” book are included on the first disc with the film. There is a bit of information here not seen in the film, so reading them once is cool. There is also a feature you can turn on that will allow the viewer to exit the film to the appropriate page of the book when an icon appears on screen. Fans of the books will especially like this.

“Spiderwick: Meet the Clan”-- The cast is the focus of this extra and it’s a good one. The filmmakers acknowledge the irony of wanting a thoroughly American story and then casting a British boy and Irish girl as the leads. Highmore’s feat of pulling off two distinct characters with American accents is still impressive, though, and the interviews from the rest of the cast are great. I love seeing McCarthy and Rogan’s recording sessions as the voice of Hogsqueal are entertaining.

“Making Spiderwick”-- In-depth behind-the-scenes coverage makes up this doc and it’s probably the best feature here. The production design, cinematography, and music are discussed in some detail, including interviews from James Bissell, Caleb Deschanel, and James Horner and are the best parts for a film geek like me. The stunt work is also covered, as are details about the production, like the Montreal weather. Definitely watch this.

“The Magic of Spiderwick”-- The special effects wizards at Tippett Studios and Industrial Light and Magic discuss the CGI for the film here. Each magical creature gets covered, and the natural references for each are quite interesting. I like most the early visualizations of some of the characters that look a lot different from how they ended up.

“A Final Word of Advice”-- This is a very brief bookend to the first extra detailed above. Director Waters again tells viewers this magical world does exist and that they should be prepared. This is shippable.

Deleted Scenes-- Four scenes are included here, and they are mostly worthwhile. One with Lucinda is a bit more of an extended one, and it explains exactly how the kids are related to her. The scene between Jared and Simon is probably the best, exhibiting more of Highmore’s work.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Spiderwick Chronicles features strong talent in directing and acting, as well as state-of-the-art effects. The story can be too much like other fantasy series in a lot of details, though there are exciting, fun, and emotional moments here. This two-disc set also has excellent extras, which will make buying the most worthwhile option for most viewers. Nearly everyone will be entertained by The Spiderwick Chronicles.

RECOMMENDED Sure, for families.