By Jeff Swindoll Feb 7, 2008, 13:07 GMT
The Grace family moves from the big city to a secluded house once owned by their reclusive Uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), who has vanished. The kids, Jared, Simon (twins both played by Freddie Highmore), and Mallory (Sarah Bolger), find uncle Arthur’s Field Guide to the magical creatures that inhabit the woods about the old manse and discover that there’s an entire universe that hides from the eyes of humans.
The film is based on the series of books by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi and promises to do boffo box office (if my kids reactions to the trailer are any indication, but who knows what the box office will do nowadays).
The Academy Award winning composer James Horner has been brought in to provide the music to make you think that “their world is closer than you think.” Horner definitely knows what he’s doing since you hear all of the wonder that these kids will be experience as they look into the hidden world of faeries all about them.
There’s also some opportunity for suspense and action which he handles deftly, of course. The Spiderwick Chronicles has all the makings of another fantasy milestone (why, oh why hasn’t somebody got a version of John Bellair’s works in the pipeline??) and promises, fingers crossed, to be a big hit when it opens on Valentine’s Day.
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