The book is Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide. It is the culmination of a life's work, all of the knowledge about the magical creatures that live in the area around the house. No sooner does Jared crack the seal on the book that he begins to see things and learn just what is going on here and just how important the book and its warning are.

Jared, along with his brother and sister, finds himself in the middle of a battle to protect the book from the evil ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte). It is a battle that will test their resolve and force them to come to terms with themselves and what they are capable of.

I am happy to report that while it is not perfect, The Spiderwick Chronicles tells an interesting story that has a distinct conclusion, is very entertaining, contains a healthy dose of childlike wonder, and delivers some genuine surprises along the way.

Director Mark Waters, having already left a mark on the tween-targeted cinema with Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, has turned his attentions toward family fantasy and proceeded to knock his first go-around out of the park. While this is essentially a kids' film, it does not pull its punches when it comes to showing the scary stuff.

In short, The Spiderwick Chronicles is not sanitized for your protection, nor is it gratuitous. It is a film that does not shy away from the dark places the story takes you, and Waters is willing to let the film go to the places that bring the nightmares. At the same time, it is hopeful and empowering as the trio of heroes have to use everything at their disposal to outwit the creatures outside.

The screenplay from Karey Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge), David Berenbaum (Elf), and John Sayles (Oscar nominee for Lone Star and Passion Fish) is a good piece of work. It mixes strong human drama with the fantastic in near perfect balance. I have not read the source to know how close they kept to it, but what I was hearing on the way out of the theater is that it did stray from the book, but that the kids still really enjoyed seeing it brought to life. In the end, isn't that the goal?