Guide to the unreal
Fantasy
and family can be a tricky combination, as the less-than-successful
Arthur and the Invisibles proved. But that hasn’t
stopped the plucky Mark Waters from making another attempt at
a successful blend in The Spiderwick Chronicles –
and this time, I think he’s got it about right.
The film, like the winning Monster House,
taps into some deep-seated psychology to tell its story about
a clash between the real and the fantastic worlds. That Waters
and his team have achieved this so engagingly is both a credit
to them, and a sign that there might still be life in the fantasy
genre yet.
Waters has made something of a specialty out of
children’s films – notably Freaky Friday
and Mean Girls – while keeping his hand in with
more mature material like The House of Yes and Just
Like Heaven. I suspect that balance between the juvenile
and the adult has stood him in good stead with this film, which
mixes its goblins and fairies with the very real predicament of
kids caught in a marriage breakdown.
Those kids are Jared and Simon Grace (both played
by Freddie Highmore) and their sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger).
They’ve moved with their mother Helen (Mary-Louise Parker)
from New York to the run-down Spiderwick mansion, which has been
left to Helen by her aunt Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who’s
in a care facility. Jared is going through a rebellious phase
and certainly doesn’t want to be cooped up in the decaying
house in the middle of nowhere. As a result, he’s blamed
for a series of bizarre happenings that follow the family’s
arrival. But Jared knows it wasn’t him, and things soon
become clearer when he finds an old book – Arthur Spiderwick’s
“field guide” to the strange creatures that inhabit
both the house and the woods beyond it. Unfortunately, Jared’s
discovery of the book leads to an awakening of interest in the
new arrivals by some very nasty inhabitants of the woodland.
While the idea of sprites at the bottom of the garden
has a certain innocent appeal, this film is rather more punch
than that. Indeed, there are scenes here that will likely prove
very scary for younger children (under about 10 years old). For
the older ones though, this should be a rollicking adventure that
they’ll take to heart.
The
film is beautifully photographed by Caleb Deschanel, making good
use of the autumnal colours and the grand old house. The CGI effects
too are excellent, with some quite inventive touches. The depiction
of the quite horrid goblins as a bunch of piratical toads is a
masterstroke. The same could also be said of the final fate that
befalls the bad guy. I won’t say what that fate is, but
it’s a classic of the screenwriter’s craft.
As you might expect, there’s a heartwarming
message towards the end of the film that you can see coming from
a mile off, but other than that, the film positively zips along.
Unlike say Bridge to Terbithia, there’s never any
doubt that the world discovered by Arthur Spiderwick is “real”
within the context of the film; which probably makes it easier
for kids to relate to.
I must admit I’m growing rather tired of Freddie
Highmore, especially when he plays an American. I find his accent
troubling and his acting rather stilted. Of course, we get a double
dose of him here, playing both the twins. However, while I was
still annoyed by him at the start of the film, by the time the
end credits rolled, I had warmed to his characters somewhat. Sarah
Bolger is a solid support as the older Mallory; while Mary-Louise
Parker hits all the right notes as the mother. There are some
notable names in the voice talent too, with Martin Short and Seth
Rogen giving voice to some of the animated characters. And look
out for an almost unrecognisable Nick Nolte as the malevolent
Mulgarath.
The Spiderwick Chronicles is an excellent
family flick, released of course just in time for school holidays.
The production has quality written all over it, and few will be
disappointed when they walk out of the cinema. This is actually
based on the popular series of books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly
Black, so the prospects of a sequel would have to be pretty high.
If this is anything to go by, that should be something to look
forward to.
David Edwards
