Il mistero della casa del tempo

In 1955, the orphan Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) arrives in Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black). Soon he learns that his uncle is a warlock and his best friend Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) is a witch. Jonathan accepts to teach witchcrafts to Lewis and explains that there is only one rule in the house: the boy cannot open a cabinet in the house. Lewis is outcast at school and his mate Tarby Corrigan (Sunny Suljic) is the only boy that pays attention to him. He decides to invite Tarby to come home and the boy opens the cabinet and they discover a necromancy book inside. Lewis goes to the cemetery with Tarby to resurrect a dead and they choose the tomb of Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan), who is a powerful wizard and plans to destroy mankind. What will happen next?

"The House with a Clock in Its Walls" is a silly but entertaining film with Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Kyle MacLachlan. The target audience is teenagers but also entertains adults. The special effects are top-notch. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Mistério do Relógio na Parede" ("The Mystery of the Clock in the Wall")

I'll be straight up and say that if you have a kid that is 9 to 11 years old, this could be a decent family movie to watch together. But adults will likely find this movie misses the mark. The characters are quirky and one-dimensional at the same time and the tone of the movie is a bit uneven. It wasn't a complete waste of time, but at the same time, I don't need to see it again.

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.

Love Cate Blanchett, have liked various films of Jack Black and he is great when used properly (same with Kyle MacLachlan) and love fantasy/comedy. Seeing the advertising, 'The House with a Clock in Its Wall' doesn't blow the mind in this regard but it intrigues and the idea of the story sounded great (have not read the book).

Found 'The House with a Clock in Its Walls' something of a mixed bag while finding enough to like. It won't click with everybody, with some finding it too dark or others finding it too basic and lightweight so target audience may be an issue for some, both feelings very understandable. Its best elements are very good but the flaws are obvious. Not one of the best films of the year by all means, while also not one of the worst.

The most noticeable good asset is the splendid production design, just love the house which was like a character of its own and the atmospheric photography. Personally thought the special effects were quite good, particularly enchantingly eerie were the mannequins and even more so the pumpkins. The music has a nice mix of fun and scary which matches the film's objective of being scary/fun.

Eli Roth is an unusual choice for director, for him this is quite tame and very far removed from what he is famous for, he does very competently if with not an awful lot of distinction. 'The House with a Clock in Its Walls' starts off very well, it's interesting, is amusing and entices one right in. There are some fun set pieces and some unsettling ones. A highlight is the baby body with Black's head. Much of the final act excites. The adult cast are fine. Jack Black is both serious and eccentric and manages both with aplomb. Cate Blanchett is amusing, her and Black's banter and chemistry is a high-point of the film, and Kyle MacLachlan does a lot with a somewhat underwritten and underused villain role.

Owen Vaccaro's performance however was very uneven, sometimes he was appealing and quirky but at other points, and they appear more often, the acting is forced and he sometimes over-emoted. Sunny Suljic is much more natural if not without robotic moments. As said, Izard could have been a much more interesting character with more screen time and depth for all MacLachlan's best efforts.

Some of the middle act does drag when the action loses momentum and things become especially slight in an already very slight and at times rather lightweight story that could have been fresher. The satanic elements didn't seem to gel with the rest of the film and enough for older viewers to question the target audience intended. The dialogue is funny with Black and Blanchett, could have been more natural elsewhere. The very end felt too much like an anti-climax when the mostly exciting action in the final act where much of the story leads somewhere becomes a little rushed.

In summary, a lot of good elements but also with faults too difficult to ignore. 6/10 Bethany Cox