Spiderwick Chronicles 2 Disc Field Guide Edition

DVD Review

Paramount Home Entertainment

Released: June 24, 2008

The Spiderwick Chronicles follows the path of other fantasy films which have hit theaters over the past few years. These include the likes of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and others. The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on a series which first appeared in 2003, and at its face follows the same type of magical prowess of a Harry Potter, but with a little less flair.

The film follows the story of twin brothers named Simon and Jared. Both brothers in the film were played by Freddie Highmore. Beyond those two, there is also their older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), as well as their mother (Mary-Louise Parker).

The family has moved to a mansion which has a great deal of history to it. Its former owner, Arthur Spiderwick, disappeared in a very mysterious manner some 80 years ago. His daughter stated that he was carried away by fairy-like creatures, and went insane trying to prove it to people.

One day, Jared, who is going through a tough time with his parents getting divorced, believed he has heard something in the walls of the mansion. Jared quickly discovers two things, one that there is a House Brownie, and also that there is a special shaft which lifts him to the secret workroom of Arthur Spiderwick. Jared then quickly finds the Field Guide, which revealed quite a bit of information discovered by Spiderwick.

Things get more adventurous from here, as the book is also sought by the villain of the film, Mulgarath.

Spiderwick is an interesting film in that it focuses a lot on how kids deal with problems in regards to home life and with their parents. This takes it away a bit from the whole fantasy aspect, which does pick up more later on in the film. The film depends on CGI a great deal as well, but comes across believable.

For those looking for the next Harry Potter though, you are not going to find it here. Even fans of the book series may think the film just seems too rushed. Unfortunately, Spiderwick lacks the magic of other comparable but superior films out there.

The video quality for the DVD release is pretty well done as it is presented in 2.35:1 enhanced. The highlight of the video quality can be broken down into two words, color and brightness.

The colors in the video transfer will come popping off your screen with a great level of detail and clarity to them. Everything seems bright and vibrant as the CGI world, as well as real-world environments are meshed seamlessly. A near flawless release in terms of video quality on DVD.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is just as good as the video quality. There is a great level of separation here which allows the audio mix to spread out around your entire home theater. Dialogue is kept very crisp and clean, and the soundtrack is also well done.

We were able to review the two disc edition of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and can easily say that it is worth the extra money.

Both discs contain some quality features. The first disc contains Spiderwick: It’s All True, which looks back at the film and shows that everything is realistic and true. The next feature, A Spiderwick World, has interviews with the authors of the book series. Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide is next up, and is the most impressive feature here. What this does it is shows pages from his book, and allows you to link the pages to scenes in the film.

Disc 2 also has some good stuff, starting with Spiderwick: Meet the Clan. This features interviews with many of the main characters in the film. Up next is Making SPiderwick, which is your basic making of documentary. The Magic of Spiderwick will please the visual junkies as it looks at how the CGI was done. The final extra, beyond the deleted scenes and such is called A Final Piece of Advice, which features director Waters going through the events of the film once again.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a fun fantasy film, but fails to capture the imagination the same way Harry Potter and others has managed to do. Regardless though, this is a fantasy film that is recommended, just don’t expect a masterpiece.

Film: 7.5

Not a masterpiece by any means, but a good fantasy film.

Video: 9.5

A fantastic DVD video transfer, extremely clear, great colors.

Audio: 9.0

The audio mix complements the video transfer nicely, great separation.

Extras: 7.5 Not bad, but nothing over the top.

Final Score: 7.8