The Spiderwick Chronicles (2007)

The Spiderwick Chronicles is about a family who aren’t happy as they have moved from New York City, to a spooky old house near the woods, in the middle of nowhere. The children find a book written by their great great uncle about mythical creatures. This is the start of a great adventure. Who will they meet during their adventure? Will they be safe? Will their adventure bring them together or cause even more problems?

The opening of the film, sets the atmosphere right from the beginning through its use of lighting, camera angles, sound and the setting. The lighting is used to tell you whether they are in a dangerous or safe environment. When it is dark in the house and the woods, they are in grave danger but when it is light, they are safe.

You don’t see the creatures for the first part of the film. The sound of rustling leaves and the banging inside the walls lets you know they are there. The camera angles let you see the children from the view of the mystical creatures.

This film reminds me of Harry Potter because they both have mythical creatures and even use some of the same language from folklore, such as ‘boggart’. They also have a similar message: that children can fight against evil.

IF you like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ you might like this film too.