The Incredible Hulk ***
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson
Director: Louis Letettier
Running Length: 1:52
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Dr. Bruce Banner (Norton) is in hiding in South America, searching for a cure to a hulk sized problem he has. An accident at the factory where he works alerts General Ross (Hurt) to Banner’s location, and he sends a team led by Emil Blonsky (Roth) to capture him. He is able to elude the team by turning into the Hulk, and heads back to America to retrieve data from his accident that his ex-girlfriend Betty Ross (Tyler) has. Meanwhile, General Ross has Blonsky injected with a super soldier serum to help him capture Banner, not counting on Blonsky being somewhat unstable.

Unlike many, I was a fan of Ang Lee’s “Hulk”. “The Incredible Hulk” reboots the franchise and takes a more action oriented approach that will satisfy most fanboys out there. This film works in different ways than its predecessor, and brings us all one step closer to an eventual “Avengers” movie. Norton is adequate as Banner, but his acting skill is somewhat lost on the part. No one wants to see Banner onscreen, only the Hulk. Tyler is forgettable as Betty, and there is minimal chemistry with Norton. Hurt and Roth are both excellent in their roles as well as Tim Blake Nelson as the mysterious “Mr. Blue”. Nods to the TV show are there in appearances by Lou Ferrigno and even Bill Bixby. The effects are good, but not great. Overall, “The Incredible Hulk” is worth seeing, and enjoyable. It does not reach the lever of “Iron Man” earlier this year, but is a solid entry into the Marvel lineup. Well worth seeing, if only for Rober Downey, Jr.’s appearance as Tony Stark.

You Don’t Mess With The Zohan **
Cast: Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson, Lainie Kazan, Ido Mosseri, Rob Schneider, Michael Buffer
Director: Dennis Dugan
Running Length: 1:53
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Zohan (Sandler) is an Israeli special agent who is tired of the Middle East conflict and dreams of moving to America to become a hair stylist. He is able to fake his own death in a battle with his arch enemy, The Phantom (Turturro), and moves to New York City. Once there, he affects a disguise and goes to work Dahlia (Chriqui), a Palestinian hairdresser, and soon becomes popular with the ladies for the extra service he provides in the backroom of the salon after the styling. Soon, The Phantom learns that Zohan is still alive and comes looking for him to finish him off for good.

“Zohan” is mediocre Sandler that runs way too long. 20 minutes could have been cut and would have improved the overall film. The last half hour drags. Sandler is amusing as Zohan, the super agent who can do just about anything, including style hair. Turturro is always entertaining, and his Phantom is no exception. Sadly, this film also suffers from having the best parts shown ad nauseum in previews. The scenes still get laughs, but one cannot help but think that they would have been more effective had they not been played to death beforehand in previews. Sandler fans will probably enjoy “Zohan”, but non-fans will tire quickly. Wait for DVD if you must mess with the Zohan.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull **1/2
Cast: Harrison Ford, Shia LeBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent
Director: Steven Spielberg
Running Length: 2:17
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In 1957 Nevada, Indiana Jones (Ford) and his sidekick Mac (Winstone) have been kidnapped by Irina Spalko (Blanchett) and her Soviet henchmen. They break into an American military facility and Spalko enlists Indy’s help in finding something. Indy manages to escape, and soon finds that he has been given a leave of absence from teaching. Before leaving town, “Mutt” (LeBouf) enlists his help to find Professor Oxley (Hurt), who has gone missing while looking for crystal skulls in South America. They set off, and soon find themselves face to face with Spalko again, as well as a face from the past – Marion Ravenwood (Allen).

“Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” could never live up to the hype surrounding it. One would have hope that is was less disappointing than it is though. It is good to see Indiana Jones back in action. George Lucas’s desire for the perfect story/script has been the major factor in the delay, and it is ironic that the story/script is the weakest point of the film. In fact, it is downright silly at times. Sure, it is good to see Harrison Ford back in action as Indy, but that can only carry a movie so far. LeBouf and Blanchett are adequate in supporting roles, and it is good to see Karen Allen again. Marion and Indy recapture some of the magic from “Raiders”, but it is not enough. “Kingdon” will make a bunch of money, that is certain, but it is likely to leave a bit of a sour taste in the viewers’ mouths as they leave the theater.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ***
Cast: William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Ben Barnes, Sergio Castellitto, Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis, Vincent Grass, Liam Neeson (voice), Eddie Izzard (voice)
Director: Andrew Adamson
MPAA Classification: PG

One year after the events of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy find them drawn back into Narnia. 1300 years have passed there and their former castle is in ruins. They have been summoned by Prince Caspian (Barnes), who is in hiding from his uncle, King Miraz (Castellitto), who has marked him for death. If the Pevensie kids can help him reclaim his throne, all the creatures of the land will be able to live in peace. If not, Miraz will rule ruthlessly.

“Prince Caspian” brings the Narnia series to the next level. The effects are improved, the action is improved, and the actors seem more comfortable in their roles. Ben Barnes, as the titular character, is average however. He lacks enough personality to make us care about Caspian, but that is a small quibble in an otherwise entertaining film. Director Andrew Adamson has learned from the first film and improved the finished product. Although rated PG, it is more in line with {G-13 fare due to a load of violence. That’s not a bad thing, just a warning. I recommend this film.

Made of Honor *1/2
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kadeem Hardison, Busy Philipps, Kathleen Quinlan, Sydney Pollack
Director: Paul Weiland
Running Length: 1:41
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Tom (Dempsey) and Hannah (Monaghan) meet during their senior year in college. At first, she is put off by him, but soon they become best friends in a completely platonic relationship. Tom is a player, and is with a different woman every night. He even has rules for dealing with the revolving door of women in his life. With Hannah, he has companionship and someone to talk to. It is a good life for him until Hannah goes on a six-week business trip to Scotland. While she is gone, Tom realizes that he loves her, and plans to ask her to marry him upon her return. Unfortunately for him, Hannah returns engaged to Colin (McKidd), who is just about perfect. Hannah asks Tom to be her Maid of Honor, and he agrees seeing it as an opportunity to drive a wedge between her and Colin.

“Made of Honor” is an unimpressive romantic comedy that is pretty cookie cutter. There is nothing here to set it apart from any other romantic comedy. Dempsey and Monaghan are uninspired leads with little chemestry, and Dempsey’s Tom is an ass. McKidd’s Colin is so perfect, one cannot help but hope that Tom fails to win Hannah over. Stay away from this stinker.

Iron Man ****
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir
Director: Jon Favreau
Running Length: 2:06
MPAA Classification: PG-13

While visiting Afghanistan, billionaire arms supplier Tony Stark (Downey) finds his caravan overrun by terrorists and himself captured. Injured in the kidnapping, he finds a n irremovable piece of shrapnel in his chest. He must wear an electromagnet to keep it from piercing his heart. The terrorists want him to replicate his latest and greatest missile for them to use. Stark has other plans, and is able to fashion a suit of armor that allows him to escape captivity. Back home, he decides to stop his company from making military weapons, and focus on perfecting his metal suit.

“Iron Man” is a great film, and as a superhero film it rates up there with “Batman Begins” and “Spider-Man 2”. It has action, drama, fumor, and great special effects. The story of the self-made superhero is different and interesting. Robert Downey, Jr. is inspired casting. He IS Tony Stark, and he is at least as responsible for the greatness of this film as director Jon Favreau. Favreau would not be the obvious choice for a film of this nature, but he pulls it off spectacularly. “Iron Man” is a great movie for all ages. I highly recommend it.

The Forbidden Kingdom **1/2
Cast: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Yifei Liu, Bingbing Li, Collin Chou
Director: Rob Minkoff
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Jason (Angarano), a high school student who likes kung fu movies, likes to hang out at a local pawn shop in Chinatown. One day, while there, bullies attack him and soon the owner of the store is shot and Jason is transported to ancient China by a magical staff. The staff belongs to the Monkey King (Li), who needs it to defeat the Jade Warlord (Chou). The Jade Warlord sends his minions to get the staff, but Jason has help in protecting it from Lu Yan (Chan), Golden Sparrow (Liu), and the Silent Monk (Li). Together they embark on a journey to help the Monkey King and free his kingdom from tyranny.

“The Forbidden Kingdom” plays more like a Jackie Chan film than a Jet Li film. The tone is light and it is a bit on the hokey side. Those looking for an epic matchup between Chan and Li will be sorely disappointed. As a family film it works fairly well, illustrating Jason’s struggle for inner strength and confidence. The acting is average, but the fight scenes are well done. This film won’t be at the top of either’s best of lists though. Wait until DVD if you must see it.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall ***1/2
Cast: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: R

Peter Bretter (Segel) has just been dumped by the love of his live, Sarah Marshall (Bell). She is the star of a CSI-type show that Peter does the music for. While she is ready to move on, he isn’t, and is devastated. For a change of scenery, he decides to take a vacation in Hawaii. Once there, he discovers that Sarah is there, at the same hotel, with her new boyfriend, Aldus Snow (Brand). His only support is the hotel’s receptionist (Kunis), who attempts to help him out. Maybe she will even help him forget Sarah Marshall

Another movie from producer Judd Apatow, this time written by star Jason Segal follows the proved Apatow formula. Romantic comedy meets raunchy comedy, and a very funny and enjoyable movie is the result. The characters are all well developed and real. The acting is excellent, and the audience feels for poor Peter. Segel isn’t afraid to bare all to get the laughs either. This is a really enjoyable and funny movie, and I highly recommend it.

The Ruins ***
Cast: Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson
Director: Carter Smith
Running Length: 1:31
MPAA Classification: R

Four friends on spring break in Mexico,; Jeff (Tucker), Amy (Malone), Stacy (Ramsey), and Eric (Ashmore); meet Mathias (Anderson) while lounging around the hotel pool. Mathias tells them of a pyramid that has just been discovered, and they all decide to go exploring. In the middle of nowhere, cut off from civilization, they find the temple. Once there, they are surrounded by the locals wo make it clear that they will kill them if they try to leave. They head up to the top of the pyramid with their meager supplies to figure out what to do, but soon find that the villagers below are the least of their problems.

“The Ruins” is a great horror story of survival. Death lurks on top of the pyramid for the characters, and is very much a character itself. The sense of having no way out permeates the film. Adapted by the author himself from the great novel, Scott Smith has rearranged the kills and story elements to keep everything fresh for the readers of the book. Despite that, the film is faithful to the spirit of his book. The cast effectively handles the mental deterioration that their characters endure. The film is tense and suspenseful and one of the better horror movies to come out in the last few years. I recommend this film.

Leatherheads ***
Cast: George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce, John Krasinski
Director: George Clooney
Running Length: 1:54
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In 1925, professional football is struggling to survive. They play where they can, in front of few people. There is no future for someone who wants to play after graduation from college. Dodge Connelly (Clooney), an aging player has a plan. He wants to recruit college star Carter Rutherford (Krasinski) with the help of C.C. Frazier (Pryce), a sports promoter. Rutherford is a war hero, and is offered $10,000 per game. With the deal made, football becomes suddenly important. But there is a problem. Newswoman Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) is digging into Carter’s past to uncover the truth about his service in WWI, which may have been embellished.

“Leatherheads” is an amusing film that is a throwback to older screwball comedies. It is not perfect, but it does have its moments. Clooney and Zellweger play off of each other well, with quick witty dialogue. Krasinski is also credible as the young hero whose star is on the rise. Finally, the film is not all fluff, as it explores the making of a hero and the turning of a sport from being just for fun into being a business. The movie is always light and enjoyable.

21 ***
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Laurence Fishburne, Jack McGee
Director: Robert Luketic
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Ben Campbell (Sturgess) has a problem. He is graduating from MIT and has been accepted to Harvard Med School, but he doesn’t have the $300,000 it will cost him to attend. Then, along comes Professor Micky Ross (Spacey). Mickey offers him a place on his “team”. This team visits Las Vegas on weekends, and by counting cards makes a lot of money. After initially refusing, Ben is swayed by the need for money and the affections of Jill Taylor (Bosworth), a member of the team. In Vegas, Cole Williams (Fishburne), the head of security of one of the casinos is about to figure out the team’s scheme. Ben may be in for more than he bargained for.

“21” is the fictionalized account of college kids who really did beat one of the most sophisticated anti-crime systems in Las Vegas. The story is interesting, even if it has been Hollywoodized. The plot points toward the end are predictable, but the fact that these kids were able to get away with this for so long sustains the interest for the majority of the movie. Kevin Spacey is good as always, radiating intenseness. Sturgess and Bosworth get the job done, while not providing memorable performances. “21” is an interesting, enjoyable film.

Drillbit Taylor ***
Cast: Owen Wilson, Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile, David Dorfman, Alex Frost, Leslie Mann, Valerie Tian
Director: Steven Brill
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Wade (Hartley), Ryan (Gentile), and Emmitt (Dorfman) are three nerdy kids in need of protection. School bully Filkins (Frost) has decided to make their lives a living hell. After about a week of dealing with this, they decide to hire a bodyguard. Constrained by money, they opt for Drillbit Taylor (Wilson), an ex-military man who is currently homeless and trying to make enough money to get to Canada. Drillbit is less than impressive though, and has to come up with a plan quickly if he wants to help the kids and himself as well.

“Drillbit Taylor” fits the mold of the Judd Apatow-produced films, albeit in PG-13 form. Think of it as Judd Apatow-light, and that is fine because he knows what makes good movies. Sweetness, likeable characters, and raunchy comedy make up the mix, and for “Drillbit Taylor”, the raunchiness is toned back to give it a PG-13 rating. Wilson is very good as Drillbit, a con-man of sorts that really isn’t that good at things. “Drillbit Taylor” is an amusing addition to the Apatow family of films.

Horton Hears a Who! ***
Cast (voices): Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly, Charles Osgood
Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Running Length: 1:28
MPAA Classification: G

Horton (Carrey) is an elephant who one day discovers a talking speck of dust. Of course, it is not really the speck that is talking, but the people living on it. He catches the speck on a clover and manages to talk to the Mayor of Whoville (Carell). The mayor begs Horton to find a safe place for the speck so his world isn’t destroyed. Horton agrees, but must deal with the Kangaroo (Burnett) who does not believe in anything she cannot see.

“Horton” is the best motion picture adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ work. Better than “Granch” and far better than “Cat in the Hat”. The computer animation better suits the characters created in childrens’ books many years ago. Carrey and Carell do solid jobs as the two leads, and the rest of the voice talents are good as well. This is a movie geared more towards kids, but adults will find enjoyment in it as well. Son’t be surprised if we see Horton again in a few years, trying to hatch an egg. I recommend this film.

10,000 B.C. *1/2
Cast: Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Virgel, Affif Ben Badra, Mo Zinal, Nathanael Baring
Director: Roland Emmerich
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

D’Leh (Strait) and Evolet (Belle) are destined to be together, but are kept apart by clan politics. Evolet wants to run away with him, byt D’Leh will not because his father left the tribe when he was a child. His father’s act made D’Leh an outcast of sorts, and he has worked hard to restore his name. When a roving band of warriors raid their village and take most of the tribe, including Evolet, D’Leh makes it his mission to save his people and the woman he loves.

At the very least, “10,000 B.C.” has good special effects. Not great, but good. The story itself is nothing special, even silly. The acting is about the same. There does not appear to be any factual basis for anything that occurs in the film either. A key point at the end of the film even elicited an audible groan from me. There was a time when director Roland Emmerich made movie that were somewhat engaging, but those days seem to be long gone. My recommendation is to stay away from this film.

U2 3D ***1/2
Cast: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.
Director: Catherine Owens, Mark Pellington
Running Length: 1:25
MPAA Classification: G

“U2 3D” is an example of just how great a 3D movie experience can be. Mostly shot in Buenos Aires, this concert film puts you in the audience and on the stage at a concert from one of the best bands of the last 30 years. Actually shot at a number of concerts and meshed together, the illusion is seamless. At times, the band seems so close you could reach out and touch them. The set list is a good selection of old and new, hits and lesser known songs. The band members themselves are great showmen, and each get their own close-up. Fans of U2 will definitely want to check this out. If you are not a fan, see this movie and become one. The band is great, the 3D is great, the film is great. Highly recommended.

Set list:
Vertigo
Beautiful Day
New Year’s Day
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
The Fly
With or Without You
Yahweh

Atonement ***
Cast: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan, Harriet Walter, Brenda Blethyn
Director: Joe Wright
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: R

In 1935 England, 13-year old Briony (Ronan) lives with her family in the countryside. Her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) is developing a relationship with Robbie (McAvoy) the servant. Cecelia herself has a crush on Robbie and is a bit jealous. She does see him as a seducer and wants to protect Cecelia. When a friend of the family is raped on the grounds, Briony offers up a lie that will change the three of their lives forever.

“Atonement” is an interesting, if tragic, movie. It straddles a thin line between youthful misunderstanding and jealous maliciousness. Briony is a tragic figure, played well by Ronan, Garai, and Redgrave, who spends her life trying to make up for a wrong that may or may not have been intentional. McAvoy is solid as Robbie, the person whose life is most directly affected by her actions. Director Joe Wright does a good job bringing war torn Europe to life. The problem with “Atonement” is that, aside from having a main character in Briony that is mostly unlikable, the film is a bit of a downer. This will not be a hit with mainstream audiences, and really was the weakest of the Best Picture nominees in 2007. This is definitely not a film for everyone.

Vantage Point **
Cast: Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Eduardo Noriega, Edgar Ramirez, Said Taghmaoui, Ayelet Zurer, Sigourney Weaver
Director: Pete Travis
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At an anti-terrorism summit in Spain, an assassination attempt is made on President Ashton (Hurt). After the president is shot, chaos reigns. During the pandemonium, there is a distant explosion followed by one in the arena. Secret service agent Thomas Barnes (Quaid) must find the assassin before its too late.

The movie’s hook is that is shows the events from multiple points of view. First, through the eyes of a news broadcast, then through Barnes’ eyes. Next is a police officer’s (Noriega) point of view, a tourist’s (Whitaker), and then the President’s. There is backtracking to show perspectives from the same starting point, and each point of view takes the story a little further into the future.

“Vantage Point” has two large drawbacks. First, the very nature of the film reduces all the roles to extended cameos. None of the characters feel like the focus of the film, and none have any real development. Quaid and Hurt do what they can, but they aren’t given much to work with. The other problem is that for a movie built around the novelty of seeing the characters’ point of view, they abandon that approach in the last 30 minutes, reverting back to a “normal” movie. What does work is the level of intensity that is maintained through much of the film. There is enough action to make one forget about some of the absurdities of the plot as well. Overall, this was a movie that could have been better with some tweaking.

Jumper **1/2
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker, AnnaSophia Robb, Max Thieriot
Director: Doug Liman
Running Length: 1:28
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nerdy high schooler David Rice (Thieriot) really likes Millie (Robb). One day, when trying to give her a gift, the local bully intervenes and tosses the gift into a frozen river. When attempting to recover the gift, David falls through and is trapped. At least, he is until he teleports into the middle of the Ann Arbor library. Everyone believes him to be dead, and he sees it as a chance to start over. He hones his skills as well. To get some money, he robs a bank, and that is when NSA agent Roland (Jackson) notices him. Roland doesn’t like “jumpers.” As an adult, David (Christensen) lives a good life. He returns home to see Millie (Bilson), and she notices that something is different about him. He also finds out he is not alone. There are other “jumpers” that are being hunted by “paladins” whose only desire is to kill them. When Roland finds David, David is in for the fight of his life, because Roland is out for blood.

“Jumper” is an interesting idea that is poorly executed. Christensen has proven himself to be a wooden actor, and this is no exception. He is a poor choice for David. The action and the effects are top notch. The origin story is well told, and I’m not a fan of origin stories. The powers and the war between jumpers and paladins is left vague enough to make you want more. The biggest problem with the movie (aside from Christensen’s acting) is the fact that the movie doesn’t end so much as it just stops. The last five minutes leave a nasty taste in your mouth as David confronts one of the bad guys and is given a head start. He decides to take a leisurely direction even though he is still the hunted. Clearly, “Jumper” is set up for a sequel, but when that sequel is not a given, a movie needs to provide some closure. This is one to wait for on DVD.

Complete list of 80th annual Academy Award winners:

Best Picture:
No Country for Old Men

Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Actress:
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Supporting Actress:
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Director:
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Foreign Film:
The Counterfeiters, Austria

Adapted Screenplay:
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody, Juno

Animated Feature Film:
Ratatouille

Art Direction:
Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Cinematography:
There Will Be Blood

Sound Mixing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Sound Editing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Original Score:
Atonement, Dario Marianelli

Original Song:
Falling Slowly from Once, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Costume:
Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Documentary Feature:
Taxi to the Dark Side

Documentary (short subject):
Freeheld

Film Editing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Makeup:
La Vie en Rose

Animated Short Film:
Peter & the Wolf

Live Action Short Film:
Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)

Visual Effects:
The Golden Compass

The Spiderwick Chronicles ***1/2
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Joan Plowright, Nick Nolte, Martin Short (voice), Seth Rogen (voice)
Director: Mark Waters
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

Helen Grace (Parker) and her kids Mallory (Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both Highmore) are starting fresh after Helen’s separation from the kids’ father. They are moving into the Spiderwick Estate, a mansion that Helen inherited from her Aunt Lucinda (Plowwright). The estate has an interesting history though. 80 years ago, Arthur Spiderwick (Strathairn) wrote a “field guide” to the world around him. This guide includes all kinds of fantastical creatyres. By writing it, he unleashed some terrible forces and now an army of goblins is amassing. Led by the ogre Mulgrath (Nolte), they seek to take the book away from the protection of the house. The kids are all that stands between Mulgrath and world domination.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” is a surprisingly well done movie. For a movie that covers five books, there isn’t a feeling that much was lost in the translation. There is a lot of action that keeps the moving quickly. The child actors do a good job in the roles, especially Highmore in dual roles. The story is not complex, but is not simple either. Plus, it deals with serious issues like divorce, a topic that many kids will relate to. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” is an excellent move for kids from about 6-7 on up to adults. I highly recommend this film.