The Spiderwick Chronicles
Not bad of its type.
This month in fantasy adventure corner, we come to The Spiderwick Chronicles, wherein twin brothers Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore) unleash the powers of a magical book they discover after moving to an old house. Contained within are the secrets of a parallel world inhabited by mystical beasties, and it's up to the boys to keep the book out of the hands of some bad goblin sorts. Not bad of its type, The Spiderwick Choronicles is an agreeable enough adventure with decent special effects and solid action, with Highmore contributing a very watchable double performance, managing to make both twins individuals with distinct personalities. It just suffers from being a bit flat and pointless, lacking the emotional impact of Bridge to Terabithia or the allegorical depth of a Rings or a Narnia. Still, at least it's better than Eragon. [Paul Greenwood]