The Spiderwick Chronicles

The first half is very entertaining and the pace Mark Waters sets by the time the protagonists get to town is almost lethal. By the end, however, the script runs out of breath and not even the decent actors, the good music and the above-average direction can save it. (03/19/2008)

I was hoping that The Spiderwick Chronicles would be similarly interesting for an older viewer, similar to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events or even The Chronicles of Narnia. I've tried to read the books as well, but while they are a pleasure to hold and have charming illustrations, they’re really more for kids under 10. The adaptation is no different. However, if you have this age group around you, you need not hesitate. Tony DiTerlizzi, along with Holly Black, wrote a total of 8 episodes (5 of the main series and 3 of the one that came after). (07/28/2019)

I didn't expect much from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's another American family fantasy comedy, but it's also something more. Again, there's the old familiar cliché of the broken parent-child relationship or the initial disbelief in something supernatural. So what! I'll take it. Joan Plowright fit her character perfectly and played her (albeit brief) role brilliantly. The creatures and monsters really had something going for them, especially in terms of looks and behavior. Like I said, it's a cliché where we know how it's going to end, but boredom is minimal, entertainment is guaranteed and it's a real feast for the eyes. (04/03/2010)

This is a cute, adventurous, and likable movie with two young actors who give good performances, and an average story. Visually, the movie is really great (I was very pleasantly surprised at it considering it was made on a low budget) and the acting is also great (Freddie Highmore is impeccable in his dual role, Sarah Bolger is great opposite him), the rest is merely just-OK. In short, it is a solid enough movie worth watching once, that neither offends nor delights. (01/19/2009)

Another in a series of films that can be called fairy tale fantasy family stories. And once again Freddie Highmore, who shone mainly in the film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", has recently been perhaps the only positive element of two sequels "Arthur and the Invisibles". "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is actually very similar to the film "Arthur and the Invisibles", which is a bit of a shame because it kind of brings the film down. The main hero, who is here twice because Freddie plays twins, again discovers something that is right next to our world but is quite different. The computer effects in this case are quite good, which adds to the fantasy feel. When elements from fairy tales appear, it's a nice film. But that's all it is, just a nice film that doesn't have much else to offer. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/06/past-na-zraloka-21-jump-street.html (02/19/2013)