Andrew Mccarthy Movie:

		List Price: $39.99		Label: Paramount Salesrank: 1635 Released: June 24, 2008
		Our Price: $18.58
		Used Price: $17.00
		MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
From the beloved best-selling series of books comes an extraordinary fantasy adventure revealing the unseen world that exists all around us. From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house peculiar things start to happen. Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances the Grace children Jared Simon and Mallory start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.System Requirements:Running Time: 101 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/FANTASY Rating: PG UPC: 097361326146 Manufacturer No: 132614

Description of The Spiderwick Chronicles [Blu-ray]:
A very good adaptation of the popular series of books by Tony DiTerllizi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the few family films in recent years to seamlessly integrate magical elements with a potent drama that will strike a chord with many kids. An exceptionally talented Freddie Highmore (August Rush) plays twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, caught up in a sad shock from their parents' divorce and coping with a decision by their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to uproot the boys and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger), from New York City to a small town. There, the broken family moves into a spooky old mansion passed on to them by the kids' great-aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who is spending her twilight years in managed care and whose scientist father, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), disappeared some 80 years ago. Jared, angry, defiant, and determined to live with the father who seems to have abandoned him, investigates strange happenings and discovers Arthur's secret notations on fairies, ogres, and other mythical creatures that live both in and outside the house. Having no idea where his curiosity is leading, Jared soon finds that he and his family are under siege from goblins and a powerful ogre (Nick Nolte) who wants Arthur's notebook. Suddenly, the boy who is a lightning rod for a troubled family becomes a resourceful warrior intent on saving his loved ones from powerful forces. The Spiderwick Chronicles benefits enormously from a script (partially written by John Sayles) that treats, quite seriously, the emotional pain of its human characters and makes Jared's will to survive the very real engine of an otherwise fantastic story. It helps, too, that director Mark Waters, who brings a warm and knowing touch to outlandish material (Freaky Friday), has a way of making the spectacular elements of The Spiderwick Chronicles genuine enough to stir real excitement and suspense. This is one of the better film adaptations of best-selling fiction for kids in some years. --Tom Keogh

The Spiderwick Chronicles [Blu-ray] Reviews:
The Spiderwick Chronicles Movie
2008-08-08 - The Spiderwick Chronicles is an excellent film. Well acted, well directed and well written. The story line is creative and engaging. Freddie Highmore is a superb actor and he does a stellar performance here. The special effects are not overwhelming and fix very nicely with the story. If you have kids or are a kid at heart this is a most buy.

A great movie!
2008-08-08 - This was a great movie all around. Very interesting and exciting and keeps you guessing the whole way through. I loved it! It was so suspensful and imaginative the ideas in here are something new, it's not the same ol been there done that bit. It's highly original. I enjoyed the movie and the ended, it is a wonderful story with a feel good ending. I would recommend everyone in the family to watch this!

The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008-08-07 - I enjoyed the movie VERY much...I'm a 70 year old Harry Potter fan, and this film was not quite as complicated as all the Potter stories, but it was vertainly entertaining. I'm glad I purchased it.

"A Gift Only A Hobgoblin Can Bestow"
2008-08-02 - The '08 film `The Spiderwick Chronicles' is an exciting, exhilarating, enchanting and at times surprisingly eerie tale that absolutely bowled me over! There's nothing I enjoy more than a tale dealing with the denizens of the "Secret Commonweath" consisting of the elves, fairies, sylphs, goblins, trolls and the rest of the mythic creatures that move unseen behind every flower and stone, or on occasion a dusty book in the library for that matter.

There's not much in this movie that one could honestly point to as a totally original idea. Upon viewing `The Spiderwick Chronicles' one will immediately recognize the numerous bits and pieces of storyline borrowed from a rather broad spectrum of other well-known fantasy and horror films.

On the lighter side of the tale we see glimpses from such beloved family films as; `The Neverending Story' from '84, `Labyrinth from '86 and of course the immensely successful `Harry Potter' series.

However the plot of `The Spiderwick Chronicles' deals predominantly with the darker aspects of the Fairy Realm and this unexpected dark side of the film is what ultimately fascinates and beguiles its audience. The more children friendly films mentioned above are counterbalanced with cinematic aspects found in some surprisingly frightening adult films. You'll find overt correlations with such movies as; the legendary cult classic `Night of the Living Dead' from `68` and the '87 teen favorite `The Lost Boys'.

However the greatest source of inspiration for this storyline surely must have been an obscure little film from '03 titled `Inhabited'. In fact there are simply too many similarities for it to be a nothing more than a coincidence.

Having said all this let me also say that I don't share these similarities to dissuade you from viewing this film. I share it as an observation and nothing more. Afterall there's nothing new under the sun that hasn't been done before so the goal is to take what's already there and do it better and that's just what `The Spiderwick Chronicles' accomplishes. The film grabbed my rapt attention from the beginning and never let up. There's absolutely nothing I didn't enjoy about this film which is sure to become a classic in the years ahead.

Message to Parents: If you have small children who want to watch this please take the time to view it with them. The goblins and troll will appear quite frigntening to a young audience so be forewarned.

Postscript: Also remember to keep plenty of honey on hand and don't forget tomato sauce kills goblins.

Field Guide Edition
2008-07-31 - The field guide version of this film is a creative way to enhance the movie and gives it more depth. It should also encourage all to read the books. Spiderwick is clearly inspired by legendary field guide authors like John James Audubon, and Roger Tory Peterson. And should encourage all amateur naturalists to explore the outdoors around their home. As well, hone in on their creative skills. Recommended for single adults!

Creativity > 5 stars
Plot > 4 stars