THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
US, 2008, 107 minutes, Colour.
Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary Louise Parker, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte, Andrew Mc Carthy.
Voices of: Seth Rogen, Martin Short.
Directed by Mark Waters.
This is a very satisfying magical adventure for all except the very young and the very impressionable – it has the elements of fairy tales and nightmares.
The prologue introduces the plot, the atmosphere and the mystery very well. Arthur Spiderwick (in the 1920s) is completely absorbed in examining all kinds of mysterious creatures and writes a manuscript, a Field Book, explaining the ‘other world’ around him.
80 years later, along comes a ‘typical’ broken family, separated mother with three children who are poor and need to live in the Spiderwick mansion that they have inherited. The screenplay and the performances quickly establish the characters and their interactions (initially a lot of bickering), something a bit difficult to achieve because Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charley and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush) is playing twins. But he is a young actor of great presence and skill and shows the angry and cantankerous Jared as quite different from the calmer and reasonable Simon. Sarah Bolger is Mallory, their older sister. Mary Louise Parker is their harassed mother.
It is not too long before Jared hears noises in the walls, travels up to his grand-uncle’s secret room via a dumbwaiter and has discovered not only the manuscript but an elfish creature, Thimblestack (voiced by Martin Short). Out in the woods is another friendly creature, Hogsqueal (voiced comically by Seth Rogen). What Jared discovers is that the Goblins, led by Magarath (Nick Nolte) want to get the book in order to have absolute power, even if it means getting rid of everyone else.
The adventure begins and soon involves the three children. There are fights and chases and, ultimately, a siege of the house but not before Jared is able to summon up a wonderful flying griffin who takes them to see their grand uncle (David Strathairn). They also find his daughter (Joan Plowright) in an institution where she gives them good advice.
Well, maybe this is not entirely new in the era of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. But this film, based on five novels by, Tony DiTelizzi? and Holly Black, is full of energy, races right along, has excellent effects and creatures and is carried well by Freddie Highmore in his two roles. The director has moved along from family and teen comedies, Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. Very entertaining – though, of course, not for ‘realists’.
1.A successful fantasy? A magic world? Adventure?
2.The house, old, the town, the woods, the real world?
3.Seeing the goblins, the variety of creatures, their ugliness, a different world? The effects of their being present but invisible? Their movements? Protection within the circle? The visuals, their ugliness? The gryphon, the monsters, the transformations? The beauty and the fairies? The special effects, the house and its destruction, the goblins and their force, the flying gryphon?
4.A successful blend of reality and fantasy? The atmospheric score?
5.The prologue, Arthur Spiderwick and the credits, his investigations, insects and creatures, annotations, writing the book, folding up the book, hiding it, ominous?
6.Eighty years later, the Grace family (significant name?)? 21st century, their bickering in the car, the parents’ separation, Jared’s anger, frustration, the mother’s frustration? The interactions between the three children? The twins? The house, the situation, their needs, setting up, Jared and his surliness, Simon and his calm? Their not believing Jared and his being assumed to be behind all the pranks?
7.Jared and his love for his father, his anger, silent, saying he hated his mother, his partnership with his twin, interactions with his sister, tricks, tantrums? Settling in?
8.Mallory and her age, her knowing about the separation, her fencing, support of her mother, with Simon, with Jared? Simon and his avoiding of conflict?
9.Jared hearing the sounds behind the walls, the holes in the wall, the dumbwaiter, his going into the secret room, searching, finding the book, the encounter with Thimbletack? Thimbletack and the honey and biscuits? His warnings, changing size? The book, taking it into the trunk, reading it? Mallory’s hair and the assumption that Jared had tied it to the bed?
10.The book, the circle, protection, Simon and the goblins, his being taken off, the glass to see them, Jared following? The encounter with Hogsqueal? Hogsqueal spitting, enabling Jared to see? Simon in the cage? The presence of Mulgarath? Monstrous? The goblins, Mulgarath’s threats, promises, discovering there were two boys, the pursuit, scratching Simon’s leg, the attack on Mallory, the sword, the scratches on her leg?
11.The mother, her exasperation, going to work, seeing the children in town, driving, Jared saying he hated her, her not believing their stories?
12.The three and the work to combat Mulgarath? Simon, practical, with the tomatoes in the kitchen, making the paste, the explosive paste? Jared and Mallory going into the secret passage, Thumbletack’s help? The chase through the tunnels, the monsters, into the streets? The car and its crash?
13.The story of Lucinda, eighty-six years old, at the home, with the fairies, her experience when she was six, outside the circle, her father trying to save her, the attack and the scratches, the assumption that she was mad? Her advice?
14.Hogsqueal and his behaviour, Thumbletack and his advice? The summoning of the gryphon, flying and finding Arthur, his age, the protection, the substitute book, his urging their escape?
15.The confrontation with Mulgarath and the goblins, the mother being able to see, in the house, the destruction? The explosions? The tomato as ammunition? Jared on the roof, the fall? Hogsqueal and his devouring Mulgarath? Mulgarath’s false appearance as the father and his attempt at reconciliation, Jared perceiving he had the wrong answer?
16.Peace in the house, Lucy coming home, her father appearing, her being transformed into a girl again, going off with him?
17.A fascinating world of magic, make-believe, what if …?
