DISQUS

Xaos Bob · 1 year ago

The author obviously went to Spiderwick with the wrong set of expectations. Roger Ebert never "checks his brain at the door" and he gave this three and a half stars.

Regardless, this review would be more credible if the author bothered to use words correctly and not mangle grammar like it was a blood feud.

Judy Riggenbach · 1 year ago

I wonder if the reviewer actually watched the movie or if he just used handouts to look as if he did so he could show off his use of vituperative spleen in a column? IF he thinks that makes him look like an intelligent reviewer he could not be more mistaken.

If the majority of critics liked it, and he himself states it has a rating of 77% on rotten tomatoes already, and he detested it perhaps it was not they who checked their brains at the door!

Having seen the movie I am truly amazed that he finds so much to criticize. I also find it quite amusing to read a complaint of the movie being "dumbed down", "suitable for audience members under ten", and that the premise is "childish" when discussing a movie FOR children. Has he even noticed he was watching a movie intended FOR the younger set or has his inner rage prevented him from even noticing that much of what was in front of him?

Nate · 1 year ago

Xaos Bob is right about the grammar. I don't know what happened but I thought I replaced the version you see with my final draft in Wordpress. I may have forgotten to save it again before submitting it. So yes, there are some mistakes here. If you'd like, you can read the corrected version at my personal website, www.cinemaitis.com, although my feelings about the film remain the same. I'll probably post it Saturday morning.

Here's what I don't get: Critics bashed "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising," and "The Spiderwick Chronicles" has many of the same flaws as that film. I avoided reading any early reviews and completely ignored the hype for this movie. So when I went to RT after my screening, expecting to see a lot of negative reviews, I was stunned that so many liked it. Maybe I got a little carried away with that "check their brains in at the door statement" but when you have two films that are basically the same in terms of quality and one is highly approved of and the other is tossed aside as an insignificance, something has got to give.

Yes, I did realize that the movie was aimed at kids; the Nickelodeon logo was a dead giveaway. Which is why I said the movie would be okay for kids, but for someone like myself, I was just waiting for the end credits to roll.