Yet another in a pipeline of vaguely Harry Potter-esque wish-fulfillment fantasies, Universal’s clunky but not entirely un-charming “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” makes enchantment so easy — and so ubiquitous — as to feel almost ordinary, being the all-too-familiar story of an orphan who picks up some nifty tricks when he goes to live in a house that ticks.
Looking back, Amblin Entertainment — that Steven Spielberg-hatched shingle responsible for such films as “Gremlins” and “The Goonies” — may as well have defined the concept of movie magic for a generation, only to see it watered down by all the computer-generated juvenile thrill rides that followed. The Amblin-produced “House” may as well have been conceived as a throwback to what the label once represented: Like 1985’s darkly hallucinogenic “Young Sherlock Holmes” (whose trippy CG stained-glass sequence was a visual-effects breakthrough for its time), what presents itself as an ominous mystery is in fact a horror movie for kids.
If Universal Pictures hopes to see a healthy return on their investment, they better hope that families are caught under the spell of hopeful entertainment and choose to come out in droves to see this. Being that The House with a Clock in Its Walls is rated PG for thematic elements including sorcery, some action, scary images, rude humor and language, it’ll be kind of a ‘tweener’ when it comes to the expected audience. Still though, if they get it right, this could be the beginning of a lucrative franchise. If it bombs, it’ll just go in the ever-growing pile of forgotten family franchises that have failed before even getting a sequel.
The pace of "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" moves decently enough, but there are a few instances that could have been trimmed or completely omitted and I would have been fine with the cinematographic sacrifice. The overall feel of the family fantasy is one of enjoyment and could be labeled as “Horror 101: A Introduction to Scary Movies“. It isn’t the best movie that’s in theaters right now but there’s enough entertainment to go around to satisfy most families. Check it out in theaters now.
There are plenty of funny moments and gags to lighten up this film, including a topiary lion with some bowel issues, but the film features some necromancy (and they even call it that in the film). That’s not quite a pleasant topic, and you probably don’t want to have to explain to your kid what that means exactly. There are some jump-scares that might even catch you off guard. It’s probably not a suitable film for children under 8 years old unless you’d like to sit up with them when they have "The House with a Clock"- related nightmares.
Looking back, Amblin Entertainment — that Steven Spielberg-hatched shingle responsible for such films as “Gremlins” and “The Goonies” — may as well have defined the concept of movie magic for a generation, only to see it watered down by all the computer-generated juvenile thrill rides that followed. The Amblin-produced “House” may as well have been conceived as a throwback to what the label once represented: Like 1985’s darkly hallucinogenic “Young Sherlock Holmes” (whose trippy CG stained-glass sequence was a visual-effects breakthrough for its time), what presents itself as an ominous mystery is in fact a horror movie for kids.
Peter Debruge
Variety
If Universal Pictures hopes to see a healthy return on their investment, they better hope that families are caught under the spell of hopeful entertainment and choose to come out in droves to see this. Being that The House with a Clock in Its Walls is rated PG for thematic elements including sorcery, some action, scary images, rude humor and language, it’ll be kind of a ‘tweener’ when it comes to the expected audience. Still though, if they get it right, this could be the beginning of a lucrative franchise. If it bombs, it’ll just go in the ever-growing pile of forgotten family franchises that have failed before even getting a sequel.
The pace of "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" moves decently enough, but there are a few instances that could have been trimmed or completely omitted and I would have been fine with the cinematographic sacrifice. The overall feel of the family fantasy is one of enjoyment and could be labeled as “Horror 101: A Introduction to Scary Movies“. It isn’t the best movie that’s in theaters right now but there’s enough entertainment to go around to satisfy most families. Check it out in theaters now.
Carl Wheeler
The Reel Godfather
There are plenty of funny moments and gags to lighten up this film, including a topiary lion with some bowel issues, but the film features some necromancy (and they even call it that in the film). That’s not quite a pleasant topic, and you probably don’t want to have to explain to your kid what that means exactly. There are some jump-scares that might even catch you off guard. It’s probably not a suitable film for children under 8 years old unless you’d like to sit up with them when they have "The House with a Clock"- related nightmares.
Alicia Kort
Fatherly.com
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