Based on the 1973 book by John Bellairs, Roth delivers an engaging family film that has some genuinely spooky moments but is couched in an adventure story about acceptance of yourself. “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” will entertain, scare and delight many children without being painful for the parents to sit through. Vaccaro and Black are both funny in their roles, but they also have scenes that allow them to be genuine and have real sympathetic moments. Blanchett is incredible as always; she is at turns hilarious, odd and moving in all of the right ways to make her character endearing and her performance memorable. While the film always feels like heightened reality, including some more cartoony bits of CGI that make it feel more safe and zany, there are some very real emotional moments surrounding the discussion of loss. It’s not as scary or horrific as something like “The Gate,” but there are some clever sequences that are honestly creepy and unsettling, like a small army of turn-of-the-century automatons that turn on our protagonists.
“The House With a Clock In Its Walls” isn’t an incredibly scary experience for children, but there are enough scary parts and spooky things within it that the movie will appeal to young, budding horror fans as well as most kids that crave the need to confront their fears on their own terms. It’s also a touching meditation on the idea that it’s okay to be weird; in fact, it’s more than okay – it’s encouraged. There are some aspects of the film that could be tweaked – a shorter running time and fewer poop gags, for example – but it’s still a good time with lots of laughs and a real sense of adventure. The fact that a kids’ film is able to accomplish all of these varied emotions so well is refreshing. While it feels like a throwback to movies of previous decades, let’s hope it’s just a precursor for things to come.
The script captures the zestful spirit of a young man confident of overcoming any obstacles in his path. The incessant banter between the adults is hit-and-miss, but the period production design by Jon Hutman is spot-on. The pre-teens it’s aimed at will likely embrace this funhouse romp.
When I sat down in the theater with my popcorn and soda, I couldn’t wait to watch the film with one of my best friends. Finally, the curtain dropped, and it had started. From the moment I first saw Jack Black on the screen, I knew I was going to love it! Watching the trailer, I didn’t think it was going to be as funny as it actually was. The whole film made me laugh more than five times, and there was never a dull moment. I also could hear the entire crowd laughing as a little boy with no parents living with his crazy uncle discovered his own magic.
This movie is not only drop dead hilarious, but it also portrays a good message for children everywhere. A little boy does something horribly wrong while trying to impress kids at school and acts like someone he is not. I am not going to spoil anything for you because you need to see it for yourself, but the boy learns his lesson. When I walked out of the theater, I walked away with a new attitude towards the world.
“The House With a Clock In Its Walls” isn’t an incredibly scary experience for children, but there are enough scary parts and spooky things within it that the movie will appeal to young, budding horror fans as well as most kids that crave the need to confront their fears on their own terms. It’s also a touching meditation on the idea that it’s okay to be weird; in fact, it’s more than okay – it’s encouraged. There are some aspects of the film that could be tweaked – a shorter running time and fewer poop gags, for example – but it’s still a good time with lots of laughs and a real sense of adventure. The fact that a kids’ film is able to accomplish all of these varied emotions so well is refreshing. While it feels like a throwback to movies of previous decades, let’s hope it’s just a precursor for things to come.
Rob Dean
Bullz-Eye.com
The script captures the zestful spirit of a young man confident of overcoming any obstacles in his path. The incessant banter between the adults is hit-and-miss, but the period production design by Jon Hutman is spot-on. The pre-teens it’s aimed at will likely embrace this funhouse romp.
Rashid Irani
Hindustan Times
When I sat down in the theater with my popcorn and soda, I couldn’t wait to watch the film with one of my best friends. Finally, the curtain dropped, and it had started. From the moment I first saw Jack Black on the screen, I knew I was going to love it! Watching the trailer, I didn’t think it was going to be as funny as it actually was. The whole film made me laugh more than five times, and there was never a dull moment. I also could hear the entire crowd laughing as a little boy with no parents living with his crazy uncle discovered his own magic.
This movie is not only drop dead hilarious, but it also portrays a good message for children everywhere. A little boy does something horribly wrong while trying to impress kids at school and acts like someone he is not. I am not going to spoil anything for you because you need to see it for yourself, but the boy learns his lesson. When I walked out of the theater, I walked away with a new attitude towards the world.
Ella Barone
OC Mom Blog
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