Actually, I’ve never read the book, but I bet it’s good. The movie isn’t bad, per se, but after setting up a really good story, it is pretty bare bones. It’s basically filled with CGI goblins and creepies running around shouting “Get the book!” When the gross fantastical elements take a bit of a back seat, there are some nice moments about the importance of family, but I can’t help but feel that the film was a bit empty.

The story follows the three Grace children with their newly divorced mother. The Graces move into a house that was owned by a distant relative named Arthur Spiderwick. Spiderwick learned the secrets of creatures such as fairies, goblins and elves and then realized that this knowledge put him in danger. An ogre named Mulgrath wanted Spiderwick’s book containing all this knowledge, so Spiderwick hid the book in his house, cast a spell around the house to protect it and was taken away by some magical creatures to protect him and his family. Jared Grace, the troublemaker of the family, finds the book and soon all the enchanted creatures are after him and the book. He must realign himself with his family to protect them and defeat Mulgrath.

I enjoyed the looks of all the creatures, but, outside of the shape-shifting Mulgrath and the “don’t get him angry” brownie named Thimbletack, they didn’t feel all that magical to me. If, like Spiderwick said, they are all around you and once you see them, you can’t unsee them, the Grace children’s world should have been filled with magical sights.

The acting was fine with Freddie Highmore (“Finding Neverland,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) turning in another great performance as the twins, Jared and Simon Grace, but outside of some brief performances from some top-notch actors like Joan Plowright, Mary-Louise Parker and David Strathairn, there isn’t a lot of substance to the film.

The best part of the film was a very touching ending involving Spiderwick and his daughter and that alone was enough for me to give the film an extra half star. Kids will like it and parents will be able to tolerate it easier than a lot of films aimed at half-pints, but this film is more like “Eragon” than “Labyrinth,” by which I mean that it takes itself a little too seriously when it could be having more fun.

**1/2

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