The Spiderwick Chronicles
“The Spiderwick Chronicles” is a horror movie for kids, and a potent one. I know it would have given me nightmares at age 7, with its relentless onslaught from a gruesome army of goblins, ogres and trolls. The bad dreams would have been worth it, though, because the movie offers a bounty of thrills. It’s frenetically paced, careening from crisis to crisis. Director Mark Waters has no gift for mystery or atmospherics: He relies almost entirely on computer-generated imagery to goose the audience. But he sustains enough intensity for younger viewers to be riveted. Based on a series of children’s books, “The Spiderwick Chronicles” watches as a separated mom and her three kids move into a creepy, isolated mansion owned by relatives. Waters makes it clear from the outset that the home is a portal into a fantastical realm. He lets his impatient hero drive the story. Jug-eared English child star Freddie Highmore plays angry, adventurous Jared Grace as well as his bookish, sensible twin brother, Simon. While Highmore awkwardly swallows his native accent, he easily inhabits the distinct personalities of the Grace brothers. Waters assembles a talented and idiosyncratic supporting cast including Mary-Louise Parker, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn and Nick Nolte, plus Martin Short and Seth Rogen, who voice the only two likable creatures. Thankfully, even the good guys maintain their rough edges; “The Spiderwick Chronicles” doesn’t do cuddly.
LISTEN: The Spiderwick Chronicles