Let's be honest, adaptations don't always have the best reputation when it comes to movies. Sure you have iconic film adaptations like Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games & the Harry Potter series. You even have hidden gems like Gone Girl or Sharp Objects. Then you just have downright terrible ones like Divergent & The Golden Compass. These movies are a hit or miss. For its 45th anniversary, the John Bellairs novel, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, is getting a movie.
House tells the tale of Louis, a recent orphan, coming to live with his Uncle Jonathon. Little does he know his uncle is a warlock & the secrets of his new residence are begging to be open. The cast is led by Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, who marvelously lead the film with terrific chemistry and humor.
The thing that surprises me most about this film is the amount of heart it contains. There are these little moments that each character experiences that open you up for empathy. Even the villain played by Kyle Maclachlan has a his little nugget of sympathy. As antagonists go, Maclachlan has his moments. Some of his delivery is a bit over the top even for a family flick. However, his development is actually well done and motives actually arent that far fetched. Giving a grounded antagonist to an otherwise fantastical movie.
The film does a really good job at pacing itself. There are some moments and characters that honestly didn't need to exist. They don't progress the plot forward or add any help towards the climax. They're just there. The film also does a bit too much petty humor. Which isn't a bad thing, given its audience, but it's a bit they keep running too way too much.
Overall, The House with a Clock in its Walls, is a fun family movie that packs alot of heart. Its led by two strong performances and dives deep into brilliant moments of character development & sympathetic wonders. Some of that gets drowned out by bit too much petty humor and unnecessary characters and moments within the film.
FINAL SCORE: 3.5/5
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Credits:
Music by Logan McElroy & Shawn Davis. The Flash and Man of Steel are all properties of DC Comics & Warner Brothers Pictures. We do not own or claim any rights to them. The X-Files are properties of Fox/Disney. We do not own or claim any rights. Super Smash Brothers is property of Nintendo, we do not own nor claim any rights. The House With a Clock in Its’ Walls is a property of Universal/Amblin. We do not own any rights, nor do we claim any.