Last year Freddie Highmore starred in a film where he moves into an old relative's house in a remote location only to discover a magical world hidden all around him. In order to save his family, and unravel a mystery, he must journey into this hidden world and uncover its secrets. This year Freddie Highmore starred in a film where he moves into an old relative's house in a remote location only to discover a magical world hidden all around him. In order to save his family, and unravel a mystery, he must journey into this hidden world and uncover its secrets.

Want to know the difference? One of them is actually magical and tells an involving story, while the other is just a narrative mess that goes nowhere and is less than interesting. The unsuccessful film was called Arthur and the Invisibles, while the successful one is the current subject of discussion, The Spiderwick Chronicles.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, from Nickelodeon Pictures, is based upon a series of novels from Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. It is a family-friendly fantasy that combines the coming of age elements found in films like last year's Bridge to Terabithia, with the fantasy sprung to life from the pages of a book aesthetic of films like The NeverEnding Story, while not feeling like a copy of either. Quite a feat in this day and age where everything seems to be a copy of everything else.

The film opens with the Grace family moving into the Spiderwick estate. It is a creepy rundown home in the middle of nowhere, and the only refuge for Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) and her three children following a split with her husband. Besides the uprooting of the family, this change in locale and lifestyle is having an effect on the kids, twins Simon and Jared (Freddie Highmore in a dual role), and older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger). Simon has become a pacifist and Mallory is attempting to be mature beyond her years... and then there is Jared.

Jared is taking the move very hard, and in turn is acting out. He is causing trouble while waiting for his father to come and take him back home. He is in the most need of some sort of help. However, help does not seem to be in the offing, that is until he discovers a hidden room in the house, which contains a book with a warning not to read it. Of course, no one is going to observe such a warning, much less a young boy looking to break a few rules.