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We were pumped up to see how Hollywood would treat this tale and when I came to find that the movie was showing at the Great Clips IMAX theatre at the Minnesota Zoo, it seemed just the ticket – a larger than life story on a much larger than life screen. If you have never experienced the IMAX Theatre, I would recommend it – it is deliciously big, enveloping you visually and aurally in the action. One caveat – if the soda pop tends to go right through your kids, I suggest getting an aisle seat. The rows are impossibly long and even one trip out and back, mid-movie would be tricky. As with many movies made from books, there will always be items that don’t make the cut, leaving fans disappointed. Curiously, in this movie they also added quite a few new elements. But, guess what? It didn’t matter! The filmmakers opted to grab the essence of the story and run with it – literally. The pace of the movie is fast, fast, with our youthful heroes subjected to a constant barrage of trouble and seemingly insurmountable odds at the hands of magical critters. In a nutshell – the Grace children, twins Jared and Simon, along with their rapier wielding sister, Mallory, move with their mother to a rundown mansion in a rural nowhere town, after their parent’s split makes living in New York no longer an option. Within minutes the tension shifts from the issues within the family, to the children’s efforts to defend themselves against the onslaught of messy, magical mayhem that has something to do with a book compiled by their great uncle. The acting is engaging, both from the children, especially Freddie Highmore, who plays both twins and the veteran adult actors, David Strathairn and Joan Plowright. The special effects are first rate and while the story doesn’t have the depth of say, a Harry Potter epic, it is a lively, imaginative tale that captivated our young dates. My guess is, at 9 and 10, they were exactly the right age for this movie. Much smaller children, unless battle hardened by television, might find the creatures and their aggressive actions against the kids frightening enough for nightmares. And, speaking of jaded, teens are unlikely to buy into what is really a pretty simple story. Finally, if you can grab the rare opportunity to “make a night of it,” I would recommend Buca as a perfect complement to this film (I won’t give anything away, but tomato sauce figures prominently into the Spiderwick action). Buca, if you have never been, is officially known as Buca di Beppo and they embrace big. Their tasty classic Italian fare is served family style on heaping platters, the décor is over-the-top kitschy and the dining room is lively and loud – all perfect for kids. In our experience, the platters are the way to go with a big group, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that they now offer the Buca Mia individual portion plate, in addition to a kid’s menu, which can be a good option with a family of fussy eaters. Somewhat predictably, our kids loved the spaghetti with a ginormous meatball and the pan-fried mozzarella sticks – classic Italian favorites, nicely prepared. But adults with a more adventurous palate will find plenty that is appealing – the juicy Porchetta Rustica, a mouthwatering Chicken Marsala and numerous seafood selections. The restaurant also has a full bar and is probably one of the few places you can still get the classic Chianti in a basket. All in all, big, loud and messy turned out to be pretty fun. Check listings for showings of the Spiderwick Chronicles at other area theaters.
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