The House with a Clock in Its Walls

(Some parents are complaining about the rating but are ignoring the quality of this movie for their little issues. It's why parent's can actually look up reviews before watching a movie with their kids. Like you guys are fine letting your kids watch prince charming kiss unconscious princesses but mild horror, oh no?)

Anyway, yeah this movie was good, and most kids will like it too, if they love Harry Potter, then this will be great for them. I did want to give it 10/10 for the rating being so low but that wouldn't be an honest review of the quality of the movie. It was definitely entertaining and thrilling for me.

It's obvious that the main audience target are children but the movie has enough elements to keep adults watch the movie till the end. Some mild horror-like elements appear trough the film, but nothing too scary. Mostly you'll enjoy the fantasy and comedy elements. The story is kind of interesting but lacks some more depth in the main parts and character side story's. Connections between characters are never really expressed and constructed trough the film. Characters have a comedic appearance with a great acting parts from Owen Vaccaro and Cate Blanchett. Overall, a watchable fantasy comedy movie for a quite evening.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a throwback to the good old-school fantasy horror flicks with a pinch of comedy. The acting and directing perfectly compliment this effective blend. This is sure to be an enjoyable watch for anyone looking for a family fun time.

The story follows orphan Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) as he is sent to Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) and family friend Florence (Cate Blanchett). He discovers his uncle is a warlock and enters a magical world unlike any before. Nonetheless, this power can come of great malice, especially under the control of Isaac Izard (Kyle McLachlan), an evil wizard who wants to pioneer the beginning of time at the cost of all who live. To do this, he assembled plans for a time-travelling clock under the influence of blood magic and, as long as it exists, it will keep ticking, counting down to the Apocalypse. However, he died before he could finish the clock and hid the clock in his house, where Uncle Jonathan and Florence now live. Now, Lewis, Jonathan, and Florence must find the clock before it is too late, as necromancy threatens to rebirth Izard.

Owen Vaccaro, as Lewis, debuts impressively characterizing his inner pedant and emotional vulnerabilities. It is truly exciting to watch his character struggle and master the magic arts and current social status. Jack Black, as Jonathan, is my favorite character as he excels with vibrant gestures and comic timing. His struggles and determination to connect with nephew Lewis about his orphanage are touching to watch and strengthened the movie's emotional core. Cate Blanchett, as Florence, is enthralling with her sharp remarks and magic finesse. Last, but not least, Kyle McLachlan, as Isaac Izard, goes all in with his villainous and determined goals with the help of his equally cunning wife Selena, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry.

Eli Roth talentedly directs the movie with his previous horror techniques taking full play in the movie's suspenseful scenes with the blood taking a backstage. 80s influences are clear within these, too, enlightening those of older ages. My favorite scene is the movie's introduction of the clock's ticking because the ambient sound mixing and design left me craving more. However, my problem with this movie stems from the plot development in general as the movie does not really get going until halfway through by delving full force into Izzard's endeavors. This leaves the first half feeling dull and repetitive at times as it just feels like an hour-long introduction to the house.

The message of the movie is to always believe in hope and people, as that carries Lewis past his family tragedy and elevates him to become a hero. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 10 because of some intense horror.

Reviewed by Arjun N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org

So many people on here are posting negative reviews simply because they think this movie "isn't appropriate for children" because it has demons in it and deals with the occult. I don't think this movie deserves such a low rating simply based off of that. This is a fun and enjoyable movie with a good amount of gag humour thrown into it. Yes it might be a little too scary for younger children, but that doesn't make it a bad movie.

The main kid is so adorable and Jack Black is a delight as always! It's shocking how every film before this that Eli Roth did had elements of horror and some kind of super gruesome scenes; highly respectable he changed things up. Great story about a haunted house among other things and still watchable for kids. Unfortunate how it's only got 6.0 on IMDb it deserves a lot better.