The House with a Clock in its Walls
2.5/4
Starring: Owen Vaccaro, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett
Rated PG for Thematic Elements including Sorcery, Some Action, Scary Images, Rude Humor and Language
"The House with a Clock in its Walls" has more flair than substance. The special effects are kinda cool (and there are a lot of them), the film has enough energy for two movies, and there are some decent laughs. What it doesn't have is a strong story. Oh sure, it has a plot if you look for it, but it's so thin and so fast moving that at times it the whole thing feels like a movie trailer.
After the death of his parents, Lewis Barnavelt (Vaccaro) is sent to live with his uncle Jonathan (Black). It doesn't take long for him to realize that there's a reason behind the bizarre behavior of his uncle and his new neighbor, Florence Zimmerman (Blanchett): they can do magic. Like real magic. The lonely Lewis begs Jonathan to teach him, which he does. But his new home carries a dangerous secret, and Lewis will have to summon all his courage in order to avoid catastrophe.
The film's biggest problem is the lackluster performance from its lead actor. I feel like kind of a jerk for criticizing a young performer, but the point remains that Lewis Vaccaro is annoying. His shrill voice and limited dramatic range make it difficult to get behind him, and it's all the more so given that he's asked to lead a film with the talents of a two time Oscar winner and a very funny character actor. As for his more famous co-stars, well, Cate Blanchett and Jack Black are certainly an odd enough pair to fit in with the quirky story. Surprisingly they work. Blanchett doesn't get nearly enough comic roles (despite being absolutely hilarious in interviews), and few people are as consistently amusing as Jack Black. The two aren't Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, but they work well together. Blanchett's pithy one-liners play off of Black's high energy with ease.
The movie was directed by Eli Roth. To call this a departure for him is being charitable. Roth got his start with torture porn movies like "Hostel" and its sequel, and the effective "Cannibal Holocaust" homage "The Green Inferno" from a few years ago. He's about as far from family friendly as they come. Still, he does a solid job, with an approach that brings to mind Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg (Amblin Entertainment was one of the production companies, which strengthens the connection). He lacks their talents, but it's still a respectable effort.
Although it's certainly not a terrible movie by any means, I can't recommend it because it's not very good either. It's a harmless way to pass the time and kids will undoubtedly love it (it's made more for them anyway), but I just don't think it's worth the time.
Starring: Owen Vaccaro, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett
Rated PG for Thematic Elements including Sorcery, Some Action, Scary Images, Rude Humor and Language
"The House with a Clock in its Walls" has more flair than substance. The special effects are kinda cool (and there are a lot of them), the film has enough energy for two movies, and there are some decent laughs. What it doesn't have is a strong story. Oh sure, it has a plot if you look for it, but it's so thin and so fast moving that at times it the whole thing feels like a movie trailer.
After the death of his parents, Lewis Barnavelt (Vaccaro) is sent to live with his uncle Jonathan (Black). It doesn't take long for him to realize that there's a reason behind the bizarre behavior of his uncle and his new neighbor, Florence Zimmerman (Blanchett): they can do magic. Like real magic. The lonely Lewis begs Jonathan to teach him, which he does. But his new home carries a dangerous secret, and Lewis will have to summon all his courage in order to avoid catastrophe.
The film's biggest problem is the lackluster performance from its lead actor. I feel like kind of a jerk for criticizing a young performer, but the point remains that Lewis Vaccaro is annoying. His shrill voice and limited dramatic range make it difficult to get behind him, and it's all the more so given that he's asked to lead a film with the talents of a two time Oscar winner and a very funny character actor. As for his more famous co-stars, well, Cate Blanchett and Jack Black are certainly an odd enough pair to fit in with the quirky story. Surprisingly they work. Blanchett doesn't get nearly enough comic roles (despite being absolutely hilarious in interviews), and few people are as consistently amusing as Jack Black. The two aren't Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, but they work well together. Blanchett's pithy one-liners play off of Black's high energy with ease.
The movie was directed by Eli Roth. To call this a departure for him is being charitable. Roth got his start with torture porn movies like "Hostel" and its sequel, and the effective "Cannibal Holocaust" homage "The Green Inferno" from a few years ago. He's about as far from family friendly as they come. Still, he does a solid job, with an approach that brings to mind Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg (Amblin Entertainment was one of the production companies, which strengthens the connection). He lacks their talents, but it's still a respectable effort.
Although it's certainly not a terrible movie by any means, I can't recommend it because it's not very good either. It's a harmless way to pass the time and kids will undoubtedly love it (it's made more for them anyway), but I just don't think it's worth the time.
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