Movie: The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles came out during the winter. It’s more of a kid’s movie than anything but if you watch it as an adult you will enjoy it as well. Having just come out on DVD I decided to rent it. I don’t go to the theaters often but I do like to rent movies that look good. You may decide to watch it too.

It starts with seeing Arthur Spiderwick working on his book about the fairly realm. A little history of what Arthur was doing and how it was bad. We learn that he disappeared but not the specifics. Go forward 80 years to a family moving in, relatives of the Spiderwick’s. Freddie Highmore does a decent job as twins, especially since they are nothing alike. Jared is the rebel, while Simon is a pacifist. And Mallory, the girl, is a fencer. Jared is the least happy to have moved, thinking his parents will get back together. But he does not know the truth.

Jared hears something in the walls and begins to poke holes in it with a broom handle trying to find what it is. Doing so uncovers a dumbwaiter with a platform big enough for him to sit on. He follows it up to a hidden room where Arthur Spiderwick did his work. Jared explores the room and finds a book with a note in a chest. The note says not to read the book but Jared does anyhow and unleashes the creatures within again. He also begins an adventure no one in his family will ever forget.

He meets the Brownie, Thimbletack, who was Arthur’s helper and becomes Jared’s as well. Unfortunately Jared prior to meeting Thimbletack has taken the book outside so the goblins know it is accessible again. Simon is mistaken for Jared and taken by goblins once he goes outside the protective circle that surrounds the house. Jared chases after them to save his brother and meets a hobgoblin named Hogsqueal. This creature spits on Jared’s eyes so he can see all fairy kind without the stone. It’s gross to watch and made me cringe. Hogsqueal also is a fanatic bird eater and easily distracted by them.
The main bad guy is a shape-shifting ogre named Mulgarath. Their sister gets dragged in as well and must fight the goblins with the help of the stone. They realize they need to destroy the book so that Mulgarath can not ruin the entire world and must visit Arthur’s daughter, their Aunt Lucinda. There are secret tunnels that lead to the city but they must escape to the shed, which is outside the circle. Jared says he has left book but doesn’t and the goblins can smell it and follow them above ground.
Jared and Mallory find out that Arthur is not dead but some of the fairy-kind took him away so Mulgarath can not get his hands on the book. When they go to see him, he has not aged at all due to living among the fairies. The goblins manage to get part of the book and now know how to get past the barrier.

Their mother is finally made to realize they are not lying about what they are seeing and they must fight to survive. Simon made potions while his siblings were gone and they use them now. The best part of using these tomato potions, which are like acid to the goblins, is when they put all of it into the stove and light a fuse while hidden. It kills them all except the ogre.

Of course Mulgarath chases Jared to get the book and they move up the house. Just as Mulgarath is about to catch Jared, he sees Hogsqueal trying to eat birds out of the birdhouses in the trees. Jared throws the book, knowing that Mulgarath will transform into a raven. As he flies past Hogsqueal, the hobgoblin grabs the bird and eats him. A little anti-climatic but interesting none the less. Aunt Lucinda comes back shortly after but the fairies come with her father and let her go back with him, as a child again.

Cute and full of adventure with strange creatures. A little scary at times and somewhat unbelievable due to the house not looking torn up as the fight showed but children’s stories tend to end on good notes. I would recommend it if you like fantasy.