The House with a Clock in Its Walls follows Lewis Barnavelt (Owen
Vaccaro), a recently orphaned ten-year-old boy who is taken in by his eccentric
Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). Jonathan
lives in an old, oddball mansion; and often visiting is his equally eccentric
friend, Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), whom he constantly trades banters with. At night, a “tick tock” noise can be
heard coming from somewhere in the house, but its source has never been
discovered. Later, Lewis learns that Uncle
Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman are actually a warlock and a witch, respectively, very
much capable of casting real magic. Under
their guidance, the eager Lewis slowly learns some magic himself. However, when he disobeys a rule that his
uncle has been serious in instructing him about, a magical evil related to the
mysterious ticking of the house is unleashed.
And the combined power of Lewis, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmerman may
not be enough to stop it.
This is exactly the type of
children’s movie that I would have had developed a strong fondness for if I had
seen it as a kid, whether in a theater or on cable. But because it’s a movie released in the
present, and I’m already an adult as I watch it, its impression doesn’t go
beyond that of being a piece of decent entertainment.
It’s visually attractive. The sound design is desirable. The gorgeous production design for its 1950’s
setting gives it a charming, Addams
Family-esque atmosphere. Jack Black
and Cate Blanchett are fun to watch, and Owen Vaccaro is not annoying – the
best you could hope for in a child actor (side note: one of the other child actors is the lead of Mid90s).
The plot lacks real complexities, but it functions sophisticatedly enough in the context of a children’s fantasy movie. Much of the laughs rely on basic gags and
juvenile toilet humor. Put all these
ingredients together, and the result is something that will be likely
compelling for kids, but will only moderately please more developed tastes.
In summary, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is just fine. It’s enjoyable, but unmemorable. On the other hand, there’s a good chance that it will become a cult favorite among the younger audiences who will grow up with it.
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