TV Times

‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’: The fantasy in town

'The Spiderwick Chronicles', Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novel to cinema is now being screened at New Olympia, Maradana and Jupitor Cinema - Kurunegala.

From the beloved best-selling series of books comes "The Spiderwick Chronicles," a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. A recently divorced Mrs. Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) moves into the Spiderwick Estate with her children when it is given to her by her elderly aunt Lucinda (Joan Plowright). Twins Jared (Freddie Highmore) and Simon (also Highmore), and older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger) do not want to move from the city, but are forced to due to their parents' divorce. When Mallory uncovers a dumbwaiter system behind a wall, Jared finds a monogrammed key and discovers the study of the late owner of the estate, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn). Jared uses the key to open a chest, he finds Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You; although an attached note warns him not to read it, he does so anyway.

Soon after, Jared meets a brownie named Thimbletack (Martin Short), who explains that magical creatures are normally invisible, but can reveal themselves at will. He tells Jared about a protective circle that Arthur Spiderwick placed around the house and gives him a stone with a hole through which he can see fairies.

However, a shape-shifting ogre named Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) wants the field guide for himself so he can rule over all fairy kind. He sends his goblins to obtain it, and they kidnap Simon, mistaking him for Jared. Meanwhile, Jared meets Hogsqueal (Seth Rogen), a hobgoblin, who has a liking for birds and is revengeful enemy of Mulgarath who gives Jared the ability to see fairies without the aid of the stone. Mulgarath lets Simon go, but Jared, who is hiding, is spotted and the twins are chased into the house, managing to escape only with Mallory's help.

The children decide to visit their great-aunt Lucinda, now in a psychiatric hospital, for advice. While Simon distracts the goblins, Mallory and Jared manage to reach a tunnel under the estate. Lucinda tells them that they need to find Arthur Spiderwick and have him destroy the book; however, Arthur is being held captive by Sylphs, a type of fairie. Suddenly, Mulgarath's goblins attack them and steal several pages from the book before they are driven off. On their return, Hogsqueal warns them that one of the stolen pages will allow Mulgarath to destroy the protective circle when the moon rises.

The film cast includes Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, Sarah Bolger, Martin Short and David Strathairn and the film was written by Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles, based on the books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

Produced by Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was released on February 14, 2008.

 
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