More Info on "The Spiderwick Chronicles"
Kid Reaction: "I was jumping sometimes for some parts." — 7-year-old boy.
"Awesome. It was scary, but not real scary. There were some funny parts. It had mixed emotions." — 12-year-old girl.
Good If You Liked: The "
Harry Potter" movies, "
The Chronicles of Narnia"
Creature Features: Many grotesque goblins, including their monstrous leader, who looks like "
King Kong" with a tree growing out of his back (and has the voice of Nick Nolte).
Risqué Business: The kids are too busy running for their lives to think about birds and bees.
Scares and Suspense: Aside from the creatures, a climactic siege on the family's house plays like a kiddie version of a zombie flick.
Other Possible Concerns: The movie frankly deals with the parents' divorce, especially its emotional effect on Jared. There also is mild language.
Rewatch Value: Fantasy fans who do not scare easily will want to revisit the intricate details of this magical world.
DVD Special Features: Look for the two-disc Field Guide Edition. The film disc includes an interactive field guide from Arthur Spiderwick's journal. Viewers can jump to a scene that features a particular creature from the film. The second disc includes an introduction to the different characters in the film, a making-of documentary, a look at the world of Spiderwick, deleted scenes, Nickelodeon television spots and theatrical trailers.
Related features: