Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
101 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Spiderwick: It’s All True!; It’s a Spiderwick World; Blu-ray Enhanced Version of Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide; Spiderwick: Meet the Clan; Making Spiderwick; The Magic of Spiderwick!; A Final Word of Advice; deleted scenes; TV spots; trailers
Released: 24 June 2008
Blu-ray case
Moviemakers have always been fond of fantasy stories, but the genre fell into a lull during the 1980s and 1990s when shoddy writing, shoddy acting, and shoddy production values drove away audiences. However, Harry Potter and Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings minted big-time money, so once again, Hollywood’s been churning out adaptations of fantasy books. The new Narnia movies and The Golden Compass are only two examples of this trend. However, despite much-improved acting and production values, most of these new efforts reveal that shoddy writing will still yield skip-it-won’t-miss-it results.
Like Lemony Snicket, The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on a couple of books with the same title. Eschewing the epic touch, this movie mostly focuses on a family’s defense of their home, so much of the action takes place in one confined setting. For the most part, this isn’t a problem as Freddie Highmore and Sarah Bolger are excellent as the three Graces (Jared, Simon, Mallory) who discover a world of faeries and goblins. The special effects are believable and impressive. The weak link here is...the writing. It seems like the kids learn all of the magic world’s rules overnight, and the adults are portrayed as buffoons until they suddenly grow brains during the last half hour. The subplot involving Arthur Spiderwick and his daughter is rushed and forced.
It’s probably worth your while to watch The Spiderwick Chronicles just to see Freddie Highmore play two very different twins. Highmore skillfully delineates the two characters without resorting to over-the-top machinations. Sarah Bolger is also quite good as a spirited fencer (she takes the lead in action scenes). I kept myself amused listening for lapses in Highmore and Bolger’s accents (he’s English, she’s Irish, and they’re playing Americans).
Video:
In this day and age, new releases from the major Hollywood studios aren’t likely to look bad unless someone fell asleep during the Quality Control process. This title is no exception. The 2.35:1 1080p image is near reference level for Blu-ray Discs. The fantastic candy colors practically leap off of the screen, and the level of detail is very high. When compared to the SD DVD, the most noticeable improvements appear during the sepia-tinted “flashbacks”. There are some soft moments when computer-generated effects dominate the action, but this is to be expected.
Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English has the expected characteristics of a home-bound children’s movie. James Horner’s sprightly music score is comfortably spread across the front and rears without seeming all-encompassing. There are some nice bass moments, but you don’t get anything as powerful as with the Harry Potter series. Dialogue is clear and natural. Separation is excellent without necessarily drawing a “Wow!” from the audience. In the audio department, the TrueHD track is only marginally better than the SD DVD’s DD track.
You can also watch the movie with DD 5.1 French and DD 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles support the audio.
Extras:
All of the extras, except for the TV spots, are presented in high-def video.
This Blu-ray Disc features an enhanced version of the “Field Guide” found on the SD DVD. Basically, the pop-up graphics are a bit more fanciful than the basic branching offered by the SD DVD, though your decision to buy this disc won’t be based on this feature alone.
In “Spiderwick: It’s All True!”, the director talks about the movie’s diegetic rules. This is rather tedious as any intelligent viewer will be able to figure out these rules as the characters talk about them during the course of the story.
“It’s a Spiderwick World” sheds light on how the books’ authors were inspired by real-life children’s letters.
“Spiderwick: Meet the Clan” introduces the cast and shows how the moviemakers used one actor (Freddie Highmore) to play twins.
“Making Spiderwick” is a general overview of the production.
“The Magic of Spiderwick!” showcases the production design, costumes, and special effects.
“A Final Word of Advice” is a bookend to Disc 1’s “Spiderwick: It’s All True!”, with the director warning viewers to be careful about magical creatures.
There are four deleted scenes that would’ve improved the movie’s pacing, in my opinion. The final product feels a bit rushed, so adding these grace-note moments would’ve created a smoother ride.
Finally, you also get TV spots and trailers that promoted the movie before its release.
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