Line #1 YMMV/TheSpiderwickChronicles


1	!!Book
2	* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The illustrations of the Field Guide are absolutely stunning.
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4	!!Film
5	* AllAnimationIsDisney: Related, even though the film isn't animation. As it was following the lead of ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'', and director Mark Waters had done Disney films such as ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'', several viewers thought it was released by Disney. It was produced by Nickelodeon actually, though Disney would later announce they were making a streaming series out of the books.
6	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The film's music was done by the late 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.
7	* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[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 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]].]]
8	* CriticalDissonance: Critics actually rated the movie higher - 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience consensus was a little lower at 62%, presumably coming from fans of the books.
9	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: While no one would have ever doubted Freddie Highmore's talents if they'd seen him in ''Film/FindingNeverland'', it has to be said how well he portrays twin brothers - to the degree that the film's IMDB boards had multiple threads from people who didn't realise it was the same actor.
10	* HilariousInHindsight:
11	** 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...]]
12	** Mallory at one point calls Jared a psycho. Freddie Highmore later starred in ''Series/BatesMotel'' - a prequel series to the ''{{Film/Psycho}}'' franchise.
13	** Sarah Bolger playing the hot-tempered ActionGirl is amusing to fans of both ''Series/OnceUponATime'' and ''Series/AgentCarter'', where she plays more delicate lady-like characters as {{Foil}}s to an ActionGirl heroine.
14	* JerkassWoobie: Jared seems like a bit of a brat with a HairTriggerTemper, and he does admittedly treat his mother horribly - as well as being responsible for alerting the goblins to their presence in the house. But he's a kid dealing with his parents' divorce, and seems in denial about his father's lack of interest in him. You can hear the pain in his voice as he begs his dad to come and get him. And it can't help that his other siblings blame him for things that legitimately weren't his fault.
15	* ParanoiaFuel: The idea of being surrounded by invisible creatures who you aren't aware of, many of whom are actively malicious... it doesn't help that the authors of the books claim that the story is real in the introductions.
16	* QuestionableCasting: It seems odd to cast Dame Joan Plowright as the older Lucinda Spiderwick. While she gives a fine performance, she inexplicably keeps her English accent when her child self clearly had an American one. It's entirely possible for her accent to change since she's only six in the flashbacks, but she lived in the house alone for most of her subsequent life (surrounded by American accented fantasy creatures as well).
17	* SignatureLine: The most famous line of the movie seems to be when Jared hands his mother two steel knives and tells her they cut and burn goblins. Her response?
18	--> "Good thing we're [[BrooklynRage New Yorkers]]."
19	* SoOkayItsAverage: The general consensus of the movie among most fans. 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. Other fans and those who haven’t read the books on the other hand are more positive, with the movie holding a pretty high rating on Rotten Tomatoes (81%).
20	* TearJerker:
21	** Once you know TheReveal, you feel so bad for Helen when she has to take Jared's abuse. The kid is too young to comprehend that his father [[spoiler: doesn't want to see him]], so all he can do is blame his mother for everything. The poor woman is at her wit's end for most of the film, and the way she reacts when Jared attacks her for the divorce...[[TranquilFury not a raised voice but a no less hurt and angry]] GetOut.
22	---> '''Jared:''' I hate you and I don't want to live with you!
23	** Then Mallory breaking the truth to Jared. Notably she'd been dismissive of him for most of the film, and treated him like an AnnoyingYoungerSibling. But this time she says it gently, and it's the only time we see her cry. Even if she knows this, she says it like she still can't believe [[spoiler: her father doesn't want to be in their lives anymore]].
24	** Jared's HeelRealization when he's in the fairy realm with Arthur Spiderwick - who in turn has just realised he's been missing for eighty years, and Jared is worrying that he and his siblings are risking the same.
25	---> "[[PartingWordsRegret The last thing I said to my mom was 'I hate you']]..."
26	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The CGI in the movie holds up ''very'' well.
27	* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Downplayed, since it's clearly a PG fantasy adventure. But it subverts GoshDangItToHeck by having Jared say "hell" and "damn" a couple of times, and has some sequences that might be a bit too intense for younger children. There's also a lot of PG {{Gorn}}, and a scene where [[spoiler: Jared stabs Mulgarath, who's disguised as his father, to prove the latter's an impostor]]. It also deals with divorce in a frank and honest way.
28	* TheWoobie: Although the movie focuses more on the children, Helen definitely qualifies. Not only is she going through a nasty divorce and having to move to a new house with three teenagers, but she has to deal with Jared's anger issues. He frequently takes his frustrations out on her, blaming her for his father's frequent indifference. At one point he snaps at her "I hate you and I don't want to live with you". Not to mention after finishing what's presumably her first day at a new job, she has to come home and defend her home from an invasion.
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Context YMMV / TheSpiderwickChronicles