Directed by: Mark Waters
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary Louise Parker, David Straithairn, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, Sarah Bolger
Rating: PG

Freddie Highmore in The Spiderwick Chronicles. (Courtesy photo)

We’re somewhere in the middle of the Harry Potter-initiated glut of family fantasy franchises, and they’re all running together now. The latest entry is The Spiderwick Chronicles, and the advertising did little to distinguish it from films like Eragon, Stormbreaker, or The Golden Compass. Too bad, because it turns out The Spiderwick Chronicles is a very enjoyable movie. Another thing the advertising didn’t show was how much talent contributed to this project. The direction is by Freaky Friday and Mean Girls director Mark Waters. The script adaptation is courtesy of Karey Kirkpatrick and David Berenbaum (Elf), with a boost from John Sayles (Lone Star). The movie stars the unique Freddie Highmore (Charlie of Chocolate Factory fame), but also includes Mary Louise Parker, David Straithairn, Nick Nolte, and the great Joan Plowright. It’s an unconventional teaming of talent for a fantasy film, but everyone does quite well. They’re ably supported by some real pros, too, including cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Black Stallion, Passion of the Christ), editor Michael Kahn (Schindler’s List), and creature animation supervisor Phil Tippet (Star Wars). The visual effects are very good, but in this day and age that is to be expected. The pleasant surprise is how well Waters and team pull off the dramatic elements. There’s nothing groundbreaking in The Spiderwick Chronicles, but it’s still one of the stronger family movies of recent years.

Jared Grace (Highmore) has no interest in the old family house to which his mother Helen (Parker) has brought him, his sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), and his twin brother Simon (Highmore again). But on the very first night, Jared finds a secret room. It’s the office of his great-great-uncle, Arthur Spiderwick (Straithairn), and it’s filled with strange objects. The two most fascinating are Spiderwick’s field guide of the supernatural world and a tiny, honey-swilling Brownie called Thimbletack. Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short) explains that this field guide is so powerful that if it fell into the wrong hands, the entire fairy world would be destroyed. Those hands belong to an evil beast known as Mulgarath (Nolte). In no time—and I mean no time—the three siblings find themselves protecting the book from nasty creatures of all sorts, including Mulgarath himself.

A mid-sized movie like Spiderwick can’t expect to stand out based on spectacle. It really is centered on one old house for one rough day. It doesn’t feel like an event. We hear about the amazing world of fairies, goblins, and bogarts, but only see a handful of them. In contrast, it’s also surprisingly intense. These kids get knocked down, dragged around, and nibbled on by creatures they often can’t even see. And there are a number of jarring shocks that could frighten off a good portion of the intended audience. They’re fun shocks, though, and surprisingly well-executed by a guy whose work has mostly been in comedy. Spiderwick is at its most magical in the smallest moments, most exciting in its contained, focused sequences, and only loses its impact when the images become more majestic.

Freddie Highmore dazzled critics and audiences with his performance opposite Johnny Depp in the 2004 film Finding Neverland. He made a sweet, if somewhat soggy Charlie in Tim Burton’s new version of the Roald Dahl story. Highmore struggles with playing two distinct characters, not to mention his American accent. But that doesn’t take away from his natural sweetness and intelligence. Highmore seems oddly introspective for someone so young and lends his characters more depth than they have on the page. Just as good is Sarah Bolger as Mallory. Bolger was heartbreakingly good in the 2002 film In America, and is clearly a rising talent. Impressively, the Irish-born actress has no trouble at all with her accent. Mary Louise Parker is good as always, though she performs a few too many vocal acrobatics. Nolte is enjoyably creepy in his brief appearance as an actual human. And he, Martin Short, and Seth Rogen all do a fine job voicing CG characters.

The Spiderwick Chronicles can’t hope to compete with Harry Potter, but it is better than most of the other competitors. Highmore and Bolger drive the movie, aided by a strong cast, energetic direction, and a clean, straightforward script. It’s not meant to be a Harry Potter-sized movie and it’s not quite required viewing. In fact, with both a high intensity level and cute flower fairies, it’s hard to know for whom this movie is best suited. I’d say kids younger than 9 should stay home. And I suspect kids older than 13 will think it’s too young for them. However, I’d also say grown-ups without kids would still enjoy The Spiderwick Chronicles, and that is not often the case for this type of film.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.