Spiderwick Chronicles

Theatrical Release Date: 2008 02 14 (USA)

UPC: 097361326146

Studio: Paramount

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Children in Peril]

Summary: Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novels The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the tale of the Graces, a family who must adapt to their new strange surroundings. As the story begins, twin brothers Jared and Simon, along with their sister Mallory and their mother, move away from the big city to a mansion owned by their uncle. When a series of strange happenings suggest that Jared may be causing a number of disturbances, the siblings band together to figure out what is going on. Soon they discover the magical history of the property. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Awards: Best Art Direction in a Fantasy Film – Art Directors Guild

Features: Spiderwick: It's All True
It's a Spiderwick World
Special enhanced Blu-ray version of Arthur Spiderwick's field guide
Spiderwick: Meet the Clan
Making Spiderwick
The Magic of Spiderwick
A final word of advice...
Deleted scenes

Spiderwick Chronicles

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 06/24/2008

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 101 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish,Portuguese

Derek Armstrong

Freddie Highmore adds to his extensive prepubescent resum? with The Spiderwick Chronicles, an engaging and occasionally touching fantasy that's refreshing for what it isn't: a 21st century Jumanji. Playing twins, the young actor shows veteran maturity by giving them distinct personalities, instead of forcing audiences to differentiate them by the color of their shirts. That Highmore's work takes top billing in this analysis, rather than the film's fantasy world and digital creature effects, is not a slight to that world or those effects -- rather, it explains why The Spiderwick Chronicles is a bit more memorable than other fantasies intended for a tween audience. There's a solid emotional core here, to complement the sprites and goblins that literally come out of the woodwork when Jared Grace disregards the warnings and opens the titular tome. Feeling abandoned by an absent father, Jared carries on a bristling relationship with his mother (Mary-Louise Parker), and some genuine anguish passes between their characters. Perhaps this injection of realism can be attributed to indie filmmaker John Sayles, whose surprise screenwriting credit may have something to do with the actor cast to play Arthur Spiderwick: David Strathairn, Sayles' longtime collaborator. Fans of the popular books that inspired the film (authored by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi) should be pretty happy with the way director Mark S. Waters has visualized the design details of this world. The entries in Spiderwick's Field Guide place the viewer in a willing mythozoological mindset, and the characters that spring forth -- while not drastically different from those seen in other films indebted to J.R.R. Tolkien -- are lively enough to help shape and build the story's mythology. The film's February release may have prevented it from growing into a bigger hit, but The Spiderwick Chronicles is satisfying escapism with a lingering presence. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: James Horner  Composer (Music Score) 
Karey Kirkpatrick  Producer 
Karey Kirkpatrick  Screenwriter 
John Sayles  Screenwriter 
Mark Canton  Producer 
Julia Pistor  Executive Producer 
Mark S. Waters  Director 
Larry Franco  Producer 
David Berenbaum  Screenwriter 
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein  Producer 
Tony DiTerlizzi  Executive Producer 
Holly Black  Executive Producer 
Tom Pietzman  Executive Producer 
Freddie Highmore  Actor 
Mary-Louise Parker  Actor 
Nick Nolte  Actor 
Sarah Bolger  Actor 
Andrew McCarthy  Actor 
Joan Plowright  Actor 
David Strathairn  Actor 
Seth Rogen  Actor 
Martin Short  Actor 
Izabella Miko  Actor 

Country: USA