posted
Finally, a movie where all of Freddie Highmore's scenes are stolen! ...by Freddie Highmore.
I'm more a fan of Holly Black's Teen/Adult Faerie novels than The Spiderwick Chronicles. In fact, the only reason I read the series is to view the gorgeous illustrations and wonky creature designs by Tony DiTerlizzi.
Since most the creatures are deleted from the film and the movie versions were obviously done on tight schedule, that aspect didn't engage me.
Likewise (and this is a fault in me, not in the film) the heavy emphasis put on the pain of divorce brought back memories I normally avoid invoking.
There's a lot of violence, but since this is a Nickelodeon film it only results in green slime. Far more emphasis on slimy goblin deaths than there was in the books, which focused more on discovering the exotic, mysterious fae creatures.
There are some amusing parts...most of them coming from Freddie Highmore as Simon Grace, who gets all the best lines. The guy has a gift for dry humor.
Nick Nolte gives Mulgarath a suitably monstrous voice, though mostly he just screams "Give me the book!"
It's not a bad film, I'm just not the proper audience. Kids will probably love it.
Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
I have the field guide (no really, from barnes and noble) and those things are called Greater Bull Goblins. The one with the hat used to hang around at old battle fields and soak his hat in the blood of dead soldiers like some goblins did.
Posts: 87 | Registered: Dec 2007
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