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The Spiderwick Chronicles [2008] | ![The Spiderwick Chronicles [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514c2fAaC3L._SL500_.jpg)
| Director: Mark Waters
Actors: Seth Rogen, Freddie Highmore, David Strathairn, Martin Short
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £11.17
You Save: £8.82 (44%)
New (16) Used (5) Collectible (1) from £9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 207
Format: Pal
Language: Italian (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 92
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5014437953537
ASIN: B0015S0S9O
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: July 14, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW SEALED
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk
A very good adaptation of the popular series of books by Tony DiTerllizi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the few family films in recent years to seamlessly integrate magical elements with a potent drama that will strike a chord with many kids. An exceptionally talented Freddie Highmore (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) plays twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, caught up in their parents' divorce and coping with a decision by their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to uproot the boys and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger) from New York City to a small town. There, the broken family moves into a spooky old mansion passed on to them by the kids' great-aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who is spending her twilight years in managed care and whose scientist father, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), disappeared some 80 years ago. Jared, angry, defiant, and determined to live with the father who seems to have abandoned him, investigates strange happenings and discovers Arthur's secret notations on fairies, ogres, and other mythical creatures that live both in and outside the house. Having no idea where his curiosity is leading, Jared soon finds that he and his family are under siege from goblins and a powerful ogre (Nick Nolte) who wants Arthur's notebook. Suddenly, the boy who is a lightning rod for a troubled family becomes a resourceful warrior intent on saving his loved ones from powerful forces. The Spiderwick Chronicles benefits enormously from a script (partially written by John Sayles) that treats, quite seriously, the emotional pain of its human characters and makes Jared's will to survive the very real engine of an otherwise fantastic story. It helps, too, that director Mark Waters, who brings a warm and knowing touch to outlandish material (Freaky Friday), has a way of making the spectacular elements of The Spiderwick Chronicles genuine enough to stir real excitement and suspense. This is one of the better film adaptations of best-selling fiction for kids in some years. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Absolute rubbish! August 13, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Went to see this at the cinema as it was the only film playing and I have never felt so cheated for four quid. It is quite possibly the worst film ever made and it annoys me so much that millions are spent on these types of films when half of the budget for this load of hogwash could have made something brilliant like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno.
The main actor tries to hold the film together but is let down by a terrible cast and the thousands of tacky, unoriginal effects that are thrown in, not to mention the poor script that has been written.
I maybe criticised for being older than the recommended age this is aimed at but if you're a parent thinking of buying this for your child save yourself the money and buy him or her an awesome kids film like Disney Pixar's 'Ratatouille' or one of the Harry Potter's or if you are desperate to find something similar then Jumanji is what I can think of that won't rob you blindly. Seriously don't buy this because you'll end up being the poor person who has to sit down with your child and watch this trash over and over again.
I don't understand why it has been highly rated, no doubt it is parents who have shoved it in the DVD player and it's kept the kids quiet for an hour or two. Don't buy it, it's TERRIBLE!
 Spiderwick Chronicles DVD August 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Both my son and I are big fans of the Spiderwick books, my son loves the stories and I'm a big fan of Tony Diterlizzi the illustrator. So we were so excited about the tales and pictures being brought to life in film format. Well, we weren't disappointed! Obviously some artistic licence has been used but it doesn't detract from the main storyline. The effects are great, Freddie is great playing both twins, and Lucinda's flower sprites are lovely! A little bit of nastiness though, we're dealing with goblins after all! hence the PG rating, but if you liked a bit of fantasy in your childhood you'll probably like this.
A magical and enchanting fantasy adventure. July 31, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I rented this on DVD from my local library, and watching it, it occurred to me that I shouldn't have dismissed it as a 'kid's' film and should've gone to see it when it came out at the cinema.
Acting: Well, I'm glad to say, from my point of view the acting's so much better than some wooden performances I've seen in these type of fantasy films. Highmore again handles playing twins very effectively, and he shows emotion really well. Bolger, who plays his older sister Mallory is natural and thankfully not OTT. The Mum's believable as is Strathairn - Arthur Spiderwick himself. There's a touching performance from Plowright as well.
Pacing: I've never read the books, but I have heard that they changed aspects of it, like the children's ages and Hogsqueal's comic relief I didn't feel was that funny. It's a fast-paced; entertaining film, that's easy to follow without prior knowledge from the books and it doesn't outstay it's welcome.
Cinematography and SFX: The effects, especially on the griffin flight are impressive. During the climax, Mulgarath is very creepy and this may scare young or sensitive kids. Special effects on the other CGI creatures, like goblins and beautiful sprites and fairies are dazzling and effective.
Music: Quite a memorable, soaring score that really makes the film. Although it's recycled from Casper, I think it's still good only it would've been better had Horner come up with an original one.
Overall: A magical film for all the family (My Mum loved it as well) - it isn't really squarely aimed at the youngsters alone and it's better than a merely good film a lot of critic's 3/5 had me believe I thought. The ending's so tear jerking and so far this year, it's the most believable and magical fantasy film I've seen, and most importantly it has a heart at it's center and is quite different from Potter and Lord of the Rings etc. I really think this will become something to re-watch time and time again.
Extras: Ah, this wasn't that great - maybe they've put more, better stuff like deleted scenes, interviews with the cast and a commentary on the Blu-ray disc maybe? All we get is four on this 1 disc edition:
Special Features - Spiderwick: It's All True - Introduced by Mark Waters, the director. He tells us how the authors of the books received letters from an actual family on which this film is based and the events supposedly happened to them. He also instructs us to take the precautions used in the film before being shown the creatures from the film in brief summaries: Thimbletack, Hogsqueal, Mulgarath, Redcap, Troll, Sprites, , Sylph and the Griffin. It's 7 mins long.
It's A Spiderwick World! - The story of how the authors, Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly black, were given a letter from three kids, who said that they had had real experiences with faeries and then went on to tell the story in their books. They added their own elements to it, like the names Mulgarath, Timbletack, Hogsqueal and how Arthur Rackham, a children's book illustrator, inspired Arthur Spiderwick and they came up with the name Spiderwick to evoke a eerie Victorian, gothic feel. The names of the children who sent the letter isn't the same as the ones in the film and you can't contact them. They changed the boys and Mallory's ages and why they thought Mark Waters was the best director for it. He says he likes it wide age appeal and the believability and plausibility of it, if you had the Seeing Stone. It's nearly 9 mins long.
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide - Here you briefly see a snoring Timbletack, before a Table of Contents is opened in the elusive book, with the pages: Boggart, Brownie, Sprite, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Ogre, Griffin, Troll, Seeing Stone and Protection from Magical Creatures. On each two page of illustrations and short info, you have a option `See In Film' to see a short clip from the film showing the creature or thing in question.
Field Guide: In-Movie Mode - This doesn't give any extra info really, all it is is a branching feature, when you're watching the film, you click on the red Field Guide symbol and this takes you to, you guessed it, the Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide feature written above. A lot of the time, you get the symbol twice in quick succession of each other, for the same creature on screen and it takes you to the same page, whatever it is - Boggart, Brownie etc. Don't use this unless you've not viewed the above extra. 5/10 for the extras.
 Like a horror movie July 22, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Pro: story, characters, special effects
Con: It had the creepy, sinister, feeling of a horror movie. The kids in the movie throw tomato ketchup 'bombs' at the monsters to kill them. By the end of the movie the walls of the house looked like they were dripping with blood. Also didn't like the way the main boy stabbed his 'father'...I know it was the monster in disguise but I felt it was a very jarring and overly graphic image.
Good fun family viewing July 22, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the better of the recent flood of children's fantasy films. Wisely avoiding the "epic sweep" of films like Narnia and Golden Compass, it instead focuses on a family adventure with plenty of pace and fun. Good acting and a good script create a really enjoyable adventure - only cheesy in a few segments. Enjoyable for the whole family.
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