The Spiderwick Chronicles Review, by Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News

With Harry Potter MIA until November, and no chance to revisit Narnia before May, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" should pass as a suitable substitute for young adventurers (and the grownups who love them).

Though it's missing the old-fashioned appeal of the best-selling books from Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, Mark Waters' energetic adaptation does have its own charms. One - or, more accurately, two - of those come in the form of Freddie Highmore, who plays twins Jared and Simon Grace.

Along with their sister (Sarah Bolger) and mother (Mary-Louise Parker), the boys have just moved from New York to New England. Unlike the calmer Simon, Jared is still smarting from his parents' divorce, and furious about getting stuck in a creepy old house in the middle of nowhere.

With nothing better to do, he starts exploring, and discovers a dusty book covered by a dire note forbidding him to read it. Naturally, he opens it immediately. The book, written by Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), recounts the secrets of the faeries and other magical creatures living in the woods around the house.

Though Jared and his siblings dismiss the work as fantasy, they soon meet a brownie (voiced by Martin Short) and hobgoblin (Seth Rogen) who warn them of its terrible power. And it becomes increasingly clear that the forest's shrewd ogre (Nick Nolte) will stop at nothing to own it.

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'Spiderwick Chronicles' fantasy can grow on you