The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Orphaned and broken hearted, Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) is sent to Michigan to live with his uncle, a magician, Jonathan (Jack Black). But, shortly after his arrival Lewis learns his uncle is more than just a different breed of eccentric, Jonathan is actually a warlock living in a strangely charmed house; and, his best friend/next door neighbor, Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) is a powerful witch. Curious, Lewis begins the quest to enter the world of magic and wizardry only to also discover a terrible secret within the walls of the house, a doomsday clock. Now, with the hour of fate close at hand Lewis, Jonathan and Florence will have to combine their powers to thwart the evil that lies within, stranger still, what’s the connection to the previous owner of the house, Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan)?
Based on the novels by John Bellairs, and directed by pulp and horror heavyweight Eli Roth this fantastic fantasy is a prime example of a film that harnesses the superpowers of all its parts to create something for good, a breezy and entertaining family friendly adventure that’s easy to digest and just in time for the Halloween season. Tonally a bit askew at times with scripting and humor that aims high and low but largely on target, Roth is clearly having fun with his skill sets as a director capable of scaring the pants off you, but, doing his best to create a film that will equally entertain younger and older audiences just the same. A delightfully quirky and bumbling Black is in his element and perfectly suited for his role and Cate, well, Cate can do no wrong, right? Meanwhile, Vaccaro seems aptly skilled and sharpens this semi coming of age tale to a fine point. Worth your entertainment dollar as the pumpkin season warms up, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is rated PG.