The Spiderwick Chronicles
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: February 14, 2008
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
59
Mixed:
33
Negative:
11
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
8
[Anonymous]Feb 16, 2008
The only thing I would caution against is taking children under the age of 8 to this movie. It has a very dark feeling to it, and my young girls were quite terrified at times. Overall, a great movie that the whole family enjoyed. Would have The only thing I would caution against is taking children under the age of 8 to this movie. It has a very dark feeling to it, and my young girls were quite terrified at times. Overall, a great movie that the whole family enjoyed. Would have liked a bit more lighter feel in some parts, but still well done.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
WendiMar 6, 2008
Love! Love! Love! Amazing movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JohnA.Jul 10, 2008
Great story, well performed and cast. Great Great Great - best fantasy movie since Lord of the Rings.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ChadS.Jul 8, 2008
When the daft old woman who converses with flowers was a child, she told authorities the truth about her missing father and the jagged gashes on her arm. Since the girl's pa was vaporized in midair levitation by a vortex of whorling When the daft old woman who converses with flowers was a child, she told authorities the truth about her missing father and the jagged gashes on her arm. Since the girl's pa was vaporized in midair levitation by a vortex of whorling white moths, and her nasty cuts came about from a confrontation with malevolent woodland creatures from another realm, she should've lied. The old woman is named Lucinda Spiderwick(Joan Plowright). Her father Arthur(David Strathairn) wrote a field guide that collated in totality all the otherworldly creatures that roamed in the woods of his backyard. As any writer will tell you, the act of edifying fabrications onto paper alchemizes lies into half-truths, as the flight of fancy transports the reader into a world of its own making. In "The Spiderwick Chronicles", Arthur's scholarly pursuits literally isolates him from the people he loves, and Lucinda, like many children of self-absorbed intellectuals, grew up without a father. When the Grace children coaxes Lucinda into talking about her father's book "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical", the viewer realizes that Lucinda would sound like a madwoman in any other context, except for the context of the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The authorities who institutionalized Lucinda mistook her lucid report of the fourth dimension as the rantings of a severely disturbed child. But Jared Grace(Freddy Highmore) knows that the old woman isn't off her rocker, and so does his twin brother Simon and sister Mallory(Sarah Bolger). The Grace children are like home-schooled Harry Potters. They don't have to board a magic train that's headed towards some haute-toite school of hocus-pocus for enchantment. That's why "The Spiderwick Chronicles" has more in common with the aesthetics of eighties-era Spielberg than the J.K. Rowling books. Bits of "E.T.", "Gremlins", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", and "The Goonies" can be gleaned from this sometimes astute children's film about how a father's compartmentalization of his interior life sprung a leak and spilled over into his personal one. All the nifty CGI effects in the world can't hide the fact that "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is actually a movie about a derelict dad.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MonaA.Aug 1, 2008
This is a great family fun film. Viewers will be engaged in the fast moving plot that offers a slightly different view of the fantastical world from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Any one who enjoys fantasy films will enjoy this movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
BorisFeb 17, 2008
It was good. I don't understand all these "0's". As it progressed I felt a little more detached to the story, as they could have worked on the scenes with tender ease, instead of pacing perfunctorily BUT, it didn't wimp out. It was good. I don't understand all these "0's". As it progressed I felt a little more detached to the story, as they could have worked on the scenes with tender ease, instead of pacing perfunctorily BUT, it didn't wimp out. The monsters where scary and insidious. Hell, I might get whiplash from this BUT, recently I was thinking about those adolescent adventures with no harness nets (nobodies safe) and two movies jumped into my head: Goonies and The Lost Boys. I thought "why don't they make more movies like that", and low and behold, this movie was released that Friday of that week. So I watched it, and felt it was MOSTLY gratifying as those formerly mentioned, but not completely. Comedy/Horror. Kiefer to Lost Boys, Sloth to Goonies, Ogre to Spiderwick.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
MINTONmediaFeb 17, 2008
An entertaining take on a different kind of fantasy, with dark overtones that work to heighten rather than detract from the fantasy. Tho far from a great film, it's generally well-acted (and this from someone who thought Freddie An entertaining take on a different kind of fantasy, with dark overtones that work to heighten rather than detract from the fantasy. Tho far from a great film, it's generally well-acted (and this from someone who thought Freddie Highmore's voice work in GOLDEN COMPASS was among that film's weaker elements), has a hilariously ironic final twist that I shoulda seen coming but didn't--and is that rare film that could have and should have been a 1/2 hour LONGER, for character development and a chance to fully look at some of the fascinating design work.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JustinD.Feb 17, 2008
A terrific family film. I've tried reading my younger brothers copies of the Spiderwick books, and they were some of the most boring children's books I've ever read. The film, I'm happy to say, is a vast improvement. It A terrific family film. I've tried reading my younger brothers copies of the Spiderwick books, and they were some of the most boring children's books I've ever read. The film, I'm happy to say, is a vast improvement. It takes a little bit of time to get into the action, but once the film gets "into" it, it goes by at a fast pace. Freddie Highmore does a great job as Jared and an okay job at his brother Simon, and Mary-Louise Parker plays essentially the same character she does on Weeds (minus the drug-dealing). Seth Rogen's voice work is awesome, he's definitely a highlight of the film for me. I secretly wonder if he wrote some of his own dialogue...? Nick Nolte does a good job as the villain and Martin Short's character isn't on-screen long enough to get annoying. The action sequences, while a bit on the scary side, were'nt too much for my little brothers (ages 5 & 9). If your kid is scared easily, I wouldn't take them to this, but my brothers were fine. They enjoyed the movie thoroughly, and so did I.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
MarcyTMar 1, 2008
2 parents and 2 teenagers all enjoyed it. None of us had read the books and we were able to follow the story. Engaging story. Visually interesting. Interesting kid characters. Nothing offensive. Lots of action and danger. Creepy and weird 2 parents and 2 teenagers all enjoyed it. None of us had read the books and we were able to follow the story. Engaging story. Visually interesting. Interesting kid characters. Nothing offensive. Lots of action and danger. Creepy and weird creatures. Pockets of humor. Worth seeing. (By the way, Ben C, Anthony C, and Celia C are the same person who just wanted to vote 0 three times. Check out the identical sentence structure with the flaw of sticking two sentences together with a comma).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JayH.Jun 18, 2008
Enthralling fantasy, wonderfully imaginative with excellent special effects. Beautifully done, excellent pace and exciting. Fun and very entertaining.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FredM.Feb 15, 2008
This movie is way more than i expected. The performance by Highmore is proof that he is here to stay. I cant wait for his next picture.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AustinW.Feb 17, 2008
I absolutely love this movie. To really understand it, you have to read the books! Yeah, that's right, their books!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
LouisHFeb 27, 2008
Not my favorite, but it is my kind of movie: a fantasy with great fx and very few boring scenes that still make the story work out. And for those of you who think this movie exposes "corruption" in the rating system...lighten up! This movie Not my favorite, but it is my kind of movie: a fantasy with great fx and very few boring scenes that still make the story work out. And for those of you who think this movie exposes "corruption" in the rating system...lighten up! This movie was not underrated, although if somebody in it stabbed somebody else just one more time, it probably would have been pg-13.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
MovieLonely94Nov 4, 2010
despite its dark tone, this movie impresses me as a fan of reading those books.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
aaronpaul121May 25, 2012
This is a great movie with an intriguing plot, "good to weird" acting, great special effects and a whole lot of fantasy galore..........
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
robomartionAug 12, 2022
It has great atmosphere and setting, cinematography, set design, CGI and music and the actor playing Arthur Spiderwick is great. However there is a big focus on the dysfunctional family. Mallory is constantly whining and fighting with herIt has great atmosphere and setting, cinematography, set design, CGI and music and the actor playing Arthur Spiderwick is great. However there is a big focus on the dysfunctional family. Mallory is constantly whining and fighting with her brothers and arguing with their mother making it extremely unconformable for quite a big chunk of the movie.

I didn't think the books were that involved with the emotional aspects and was more about the fantasy which is where the movie shines. Even though the movie is based on 5 books each are quite short, in total on the shorter end of young adult books, but still the film is over quite quickly. The ending comes too easily and some of the other aspects a overly heavy for a children's movie. Points gained for the fantasy, points lost for the drama and overly serious undertones and tonal inconsistency. Freddy Highmore plays two people in this film which might surprise you, thinking they were identical twins. Personally I think they should have gone with two separate actors because if you know the trick then the two characters start to blur together.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DawdlingPoetNov 26, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a reasonably entertaining, mostly family friendly film (apart from the ocassional glance/hint at claw mark type injuries and one or two monster depictions which may scare younger kids) with some pretty decent CGI. I liked some of the plot details, like the fact that the mother eventually sees the creatures, so its not entirely a case of dismissing the kids concerns over an assumed made up entity/entities. This isn't exactly a brilliant film but its a pretty good one which will likely entertain slightly older kids and so I'd recommend it on that basis.… Expand
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10
AlexVillFeb 17, 2022
It's amazing
Ended melanie and TWICE and BLACKPINK
I love this so much
Deserve moreee
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DolphinReviewsJul 21, 2022
It’s a fun and entertaining kids movie. One of the better ones you can watch.
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