The Spiderwick Chronicles

Three kids forced to move to a big, spooky house in the middle of nowhere discover that it's surrounded by magical beings, and many of them aren't friendly. This adventure of pre-teens encountering a mythical realm lacks the scope of the other entries in the Harry Potter sweepstakes, but still manages to provide scares and action for the under-12 set.

Review in a Hurry:  Three kids forced to move to a big, spooky house in the middle of nowhere discover it's surrounded by magical beings, and many of them aren't friendly. This adventure of preteens encountering a mythical realm lacks the scope of the other entries in the Harry Potter sweepstakes, but it still manages to provide scares and action for the under-12 set.

The Bigger Picture:  The Grace kids—twin brothers Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore in a dual role) and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger)—move into the old family mansion when their dad leaves their mom (Mary-Louise Parker, who doesn't look as if she had a sandwich recently, let alone three kids). The crumbling house belonged to their great-great uncle, Arthur Spiderwick (David Straitharn), an eccentric who disappeared 80 years before.

But it turns out Uncle Arthur wasn't crazy after all! Jared finds his life's work—a book that catalogs an entire unseen world inhabiting this one with us. Faeries, goblins and pixies are all real, it turns out, and Arthur learned all their secrets.

Unfortunately, the book also contains the secret of how to rule the world (exactly how is never explained, but nobody pauses to ask). That means the evil ogre, Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), only slightly scarier than he was in his DUI mug shot—wants it. Which makes Jared and his siblings the only line of defense—and the target of all kinds of nasty things.

Unlike the more ambitious The Golden Compass, Spiderwick doesn't try to create a whole new world. It doesn't have the CGI budget. So, it sticks to the attic and the acreage behind the backyard. That's a pretty decent playground, and even if the Spiderwick Estate isn't Narnia, there's still plenty here to keep the kids occupied for 92 minutes on a rainy afternoon.

The 180—a Second Opinion:  The movie's big problem isn't getting us to believe in the monsters, but in the humans. With only a few exceptions, their dialogue just lays there like a fish that's been hit with a club. Despite the best efforts of a talented cast, the family seems more like plot elements than people.