History YMMV / TheSpiderwickChronicles

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general consensus of the movie. It is a heavily CompressedAdaptation that goes through the story way too quickly and discards multiple characters and plot points, but still manages to accurately portray the characters and nail key scenes.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: In book 2 of ''Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles, Laurie explains that she lies because "lying works," and nothing in the story contradicts this claim. This, from a book aimed at 6-12 year olds.

* HilariousInHindsight: So let me get this straight; this is about a pair of preteen twins who discover an old journal, [[spoiler:which was written by a relative who disappeared years ago]], that doubles as a guide to the secret mystical world around them? [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls That sounds awfully familiar...]]

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general consensus of the movie. It is a heavily CompressedAdaptation that goes through the story way too quickly, but manages to accurately portray the characters and nail key scenes.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The CGI in the movie holds up VERY well.

* AwesomeMusic: The film's music was done by Music/JamesHorner, and ''it shows''. While some of the themes are reused from ''Film/{{Casper}}'', they still sound as beautifully haunting and captivating as always.

* CompleteMonster: [[OurOgresAreHungrier Mulgarath]] is an arrogant, cunning Ogre who was [[BigBad directly or indirectly responsible]] for nearly all problems that befell the Spiderwick and Grace families. Desiring Arthur Spiderwick's field guide to conquer mankind and the other fairies, Mulgarath had Arthur's daughter, Lucinda Spiderwick, kidnapped, then tortured and later crippled when she couldn't give it to him. In preparation for his plans, Mulgarath built himself an army held together by intimidation, including press-ganged goblins; acquired several dragons; and [[ManipulativeBastard played on the dwarves' love of metal and craftsmanship]] to convince them to build weapons for his army and to swear their eternal allegiance to him. Mulgarath [[UngratefulBastard rewarded this service]] by massacring all of the dwarves [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the moment they gave him the weapons]]. Upon learning that Jared Grace had found the guide, Mulgarath turned his attention upon the Grace siblings, happy to kidnap and kill the children to gain the guide, his plots climaxing in him destroying their family home and kidnapping their mother. Ambitious and vain as he was, Mulgarath was also a sadistic beast, as inside his palace the Grace siblings found multiple fairies he had [[CruelAndUnusualDeath imprisoned in honey and left to struggle futilely as they slowly drowned]].

* CompleteMonster: [[OurOgresAreHungrier Mulgarath]] is an arrogant, cunning Ogre who was [[BigBad directly or indirectly responsible]] for nearly all problems that befell the Spiderwick and Grace families. Desiring Arthur Spiderwick's field guide to conquer mankind and the other fairies, Mulgarath had Arthur's daughter, Lucinda Spiderwick, kidnapped, then tortured and later crippled when she couldn't give it to him. In preparation for his plans, Mulgarath built himself an army held together by intimidation, including press-ganged goblins; acquired several dragons; and [[ManipulativeBastard played on the dwarves' love of metal and craftsmanship]] to convince them to build weapons for his army and to swear their eternal allegiance to him. Mulgarath [[UngratefulBastard rewarded this service]] by massacring all of the dwarves [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the moment they gave him the weapons]]. Upon learning that Jared Grace had found the guide, Mulgarath turned his attention upon the Grace siblings, happy to kidnap and kill the children to gain the guide, his plots climaxing in him destroying their family home and kidnapping their mother. Ambitious and vain as he was, Mulgarath was also a sadistic beast, as inside his palace the Grace siblings found multiple fairies he had imprisoned in honey and left to struggle futilely as they slowly drowned.

* CompleteMonster: [[OurOgresAreHungrier Mulgarath]] is an arrogant, [[GeniusBruiser cunning Ogre]] who was [[BigBad directly or indirectly responsible for nearly all problems that befell Spiderwick/Grace family]]. He spent decades trying to obtain Arthur Spiderwick’s [[GreatBigBookOfEverything field guide]], to use its information to fulfil his desires to [[TakeOverTheWorld conquer mankind and the other fairies]]. To try and obtain the book, Mulgarath had Lucinda Spiderwick kidnapped, then tortured. When she was unable to produce the book, Mulgarath personally crippled her. In preparation for his plans Mulgarath built himself an army held together by intimidation, including press-ganged goblins; acquired several dragons; and [[ManipulativeBastard played on the Dwarfs love of metal and craftsmanship]] to convince them to build weapons for his army and to swear their eternal allegiance to him. Mulgarath [[UngratefulBastard rewarded this service]] by massacring all of the Dwarfs [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the moment they gave him the weapons]]. Upon learning that [[TheHero Jared Grace]] had found the guide, Mulgarath turned his attention upon the Grace siblings, happy [[WouldHurtAChild to kidnap and kill the children]] to gain the guide, his plots climaxing in him destroying their family home and kidnapping their mother. Ambitious and vain as he was, Mulgarath was also a {{sadist}}ic beast, as inside his palace the Grace siblings found multiple fairies he had imprisoned in honey and [[CruelAndUnusualDeath left to struggle futilely as they slowly drowned]].

* AwsomeArtwork: The illustrations of the Field Guide are absolutely stunning.

* NightmareFuel: A fair amount.
** Mulgarath and his unnatural eyes is an incredibly nasty customer in just about any of his forms, though his native (ogre) form wins the prize for sheer ugly. The goblins and trolls aren't exactly going to win any beauty contests, either.
** "Click klack; watch your back"
** The Banshee from the field guide.
** The field guide, especially the troll descriptions.
** Anytime a character has to face goblins or other unfriendly without the stone or hobgoblin spit to let them see them.
** The fairies drowning in honey in the last book. Jared saves a few but is traumatized by the experience.
** The third book introduces Unicorns to the series, something which would be wonderful if it weren't for the fact that the unicorn in question shows Mallory and Jared a vision of why there are so few unicorns (and faeries in general) left: human hunters killing them for their pelts and horns. This is described in an incredible amount of detail for a children's book.

* HilariousInHindsight: So let me get this straight; this is about a pair of preteen twins who discover an old journal, [[spoiler:which was written by a relative who disappeared years ago]], that depicts the secret mystical world around them? [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls That sounds awfully familiar...]]

* HilariousInHindsight: So let me get this straight; this is about a pair of twins who discover an old journal, [[spoiler:written by a relative who disappeared years ago]], that depicts the secret mystical world around them? [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls That sounds awfully familiar...]]

* HilariousInHindsight: So let me get this straight; this is about a pair of twins who discover an old journal [[spoiler:written by a relative who disappeared years ago]] that depicts the secret mystical world around them? [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls That sounds awfully familiar...]]

** The field guide terrified this troper as a child, especially the troll descriptions. The book is probably what gave me my fear of TheFairFolk.
** Anytime a character has to face goblins or other unfriendly without the stone or hobgoblin spit to let them see them

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: In the movie, Hogsqueal yelling at Byron, "Fly while you can, gryphon! [[spoiler:I swallowed an ogre whole!]] You could be next!" while Byron happily does his best imitation of [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon Toothless]].
** "Now that's teamwork!"

** The field guide terrified this trooper as a child, especially the troll descriptions. The book is probably what gave me my fear of TheFairFolk.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: In the movie, Hogsqueal yelling at Byron, "Fly while you can, gryphon! [[spoiler:I swallowed an ogre whole!]] You could be next!" while Byron happily does his best imitation of [[HowToTrainYourDragon Toothless]].