Watched this last night. Over all, a well done kid's comic "horror" movie, based on the classic novel by John Bellairs. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett are terrific together as humorously bickering old friends (who also happen to be a warlock and a witch, respectively), and the young lead, Owen Vaccario, is superb as 10-year-old Lewis, orphaned nephew of Jack Black's character.
There are, as one would expect, departures from the novel, but I didn't find them egregious (though admittedly it's been a couple of years since my last read). Unfortunately, I did think the closing battle with the villains lacked some luster and was a little over-done on the effects side. The director's choices also didn't quite reach a satisfying level of peril; I would have preferred a bit more suspense, particularly as to the final purpose and threat of the eponymous clock. However, I admit that perhaps the children the film is intended for might find it suitably scary. And there were plot decisions that surprised me (and I thought worked well thematically), so that's always good in a piece that could have wound up being formulaic.
As gaming inspiration, there actually is quite a bit here for a light fantasy/pulp type setting; in that sense, the running fight as the heroes battle their way back into the house to confront the villains could be a lot of fun, particularly in the various creatures/devices they face. (See the spoiler below for a list of foes.)
out five, bumped to four s if you have an 8-12 year old to see it with.
Special clap for the reference to Captain Midnite that turns into a nifty, unexpected plot point (if slightly illogical, but whatever- I still loved it!)
The movie did quite well ($130+ million worldwide box office last year), so maybe we'll see more of Bellairs' work translated to the screen (and reprinted, too!).
SPOILER LIST
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Animated, glue-puking jack-o'-lanterns (still on the vine!?!), clock-work animatronic puppets, a topiary griffin/sphinx and a giant purple-many-tentacled (?) boa constrictor. Oh, and an undead warlock and his evil witch wife. Sadly, the movie makes much less of all this than it should, IMHO, but the gaming potential is high.
