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Avatar - The Last Airbender: The Complete Book 3 Collection

The Complete Book 3 CollectionHaving survived the terrible battle with Azula Aang faces new challenges as he and his brave friends secretly enter the Fire Nation.Their quest is to find and defeat Firelord Ozai. Along the way they discover that Ozai has plans of his own. The leader of the Fire Nation intends to use the massive power of Sozin's Comet to spread his dominion permanently across the four nations.Short on time Aang has a lot of bending to learn and no master to help him learn it. However his friends are there to help and he finds unexpected allies deep in the heart of the Fire Nation.In the spectacular four-part conclusion Aang must fulfill his destiny and become a fully realized Avatar or watch the world go up in smoke.This deluxe box set includes all 21 action-packed chapters from Book 3: Fire.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 097368527249 Manufacturer No: 852724

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3, Volume 1 is a slightly unusual suite of episodes in the Avatar canon, as the majority of programs are even more comical than usual. Not that the five shows included on this disc lack seriousness: the long-running series now finds young Aang (the once and future avatar destined to reunite the world's four estranged nations) and his traveling companions behind enemy lines in the Fire Nation, disguised as colonists. In "Awakening," Aang arises--with a surprising headful of dark hair--from several weeks of unconsciousness (due to the injuries he sustained during a battle for Ba Sing Se) aboard a captured Fire Nation warship. Though he finds old friends Sokka, Toph, and Katara nearby, all urging him not to take matters in his own hands, Aang ultimately feels compelled to go head-to-head with the Fire Lord before he is ready. The result forces Aang and the others to remain incognito, setting up subsequent episodes in which the heroes are forced to lay low and find something else to do with their time besides fight adversaries. In "The Headband," Aang enrolls in a Fire Nation school, where his eyes are opened to such ordinary experiences as dealing with a campus bully and getting a hard time from strict teachers. In "The Painted Lady," Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph visit an impoverished fishing village and have to repress their typical instinct to help lest they be recognized as outsiders. (An alternative is found.) "Sokka's Master," in some ways the most enjoyable episode here, finds Sokka feeling useless because he doesn't possess powers similar to his mates. His solution: talk a master swordsman into taking him on as an apprentice. Finally, the most unexpected story in this collection is "The Beach," in which Prince Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee--all of whom are back in the Fire Nation, too--take an awkward holiday but end up learning a lot about one another.

Meanwhile, Zuko--following his extended banishment from the Fire Nation--discovers that his father welcoming again, but only because his manipulative sister, Princess Azula, has falsely told everyone that Zuko killed Aang. Fearing that his father will disown him again, Zuko chooses not to tell the truth and works on having Aang quietly assassinated. Where Zuko had been more of a complete human being during his exile, he's back to being a monster again, going so far as to keep his dutiful uncle, Iroh, in a dark, dank prison. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 2 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3--Fire, Volume 2 finds the series closing in on a long-awaited day of reckoning with the fire nation. The five episodes on this disc continue those chapters on Volume 1 in which Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka live undercover in the fire nation, awaiting the moment when an alliance of warriors from the air, water, and earth nations converge to overtake the conquering firebenders once and for all. On Volume 2, the path to the day of battle, in typical Avatar fashion, is full of misadventures and intrigue, but also sundry revelations that make the pending series climax that much more interesting. "The Avatar and the Firelord" is the backstory of how the fire nation leader came to be a brutal tyrant in the world. Turns out he was the best friend of none other than the previous avatar; the souring of their relationship led to the troubles young Aang is trying to resolve. (While Aang is finding all this out, the fire nation's Prince Zuko discovers his ancestry is more complicated than he'd imagined, and that he has more of a role to play in ending the war waged by his people.) "The Runaway" is a comedy about mischievous Toph getting into trouble for using her earthbending powers to win bets and make a lot of money. "The Puppetmaster" is a scary story featuring a waterbending old woman who initially enchants Katara, but then later is revealed to be a vengeful monster with terrifying abilities to control people's bodies. "Nightmares and Daydreams" concerns an anxious Aang unable to sleep and stop hallucinating prior to the coming battle, while part one of "The Day of Black Sun" sees the beginning of the allies' invasion of the fire nation. Lots of surprises in this last episode, with a cliffhanger ending that makes the next volume of Avatar most desirable. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 3 At the beginning of Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3 Fire, Vol. 3, things don't go quite the way one would have hoped at the end of Vol. 2. Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka were part of a major assault on the tyrannical fire nation, and hopes of victory were high. In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse," however, circumstances reverse the heroes' fortunes, forcing Aang, his friends and the very youngest warriors to flee the battle. As they regroup at the Western Air Temple, mourning the expected imprisonment of the adults left behind, Aang comes face to face with an unexpected, would-be ally: Zuko, prince of the fire nation. Sokka and Katara refuse to accept Zuko's guarantee that he is truly on their side (they've been through this before), but Toph and Aang are a little more receptive to the idea. Good thing. In "The Firebending Masters," Aang accepts that Zuko could be the firebending mentor he needs to show him how to conquer the most elusive of the four elements. But it isn't easy: Zuko loses his power and must retreat to a fire nation temple, where he can learn the origins of his native gift. The set of five stories on this disc concludes with the two-part "The Boiling Rock," in which Sokka and Zuko infiltrate a fire nation maximum security prison in hopes of freeing Sokka's father. Trying hard to stay clandestine, Zuko's identity is revealed anyway, jeopardizing not only the mission but Zuko and Sokka's very freedom. The excitement is endless in the long-running Avatar series, and developments (especially Zuko's acceptance by Aang and the others) are as heartening as they are surprising. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 4 The long-running series Avatar the Last Airbender comes to a dazzling conclusion in Book 3 Fire, Volume 4. Poised for quite a number of episodes (seen in previous volumes) to go to war against the tyrannical Fire Nation, Aang the young Avatar and his cohorts must now bring down the Fire Lord and his army, or watch them ramp up their destructive powers during an imminent solar eclipse. But there's a lingering question only Aang can answer: can the Avatar, who has never killed anyone, bring himself to take the Fire Lord's life? That is what he must do, according to Zuko, the Fire Prince who has thrown in his lot with Aang and the latter's friends.

While Aang is sorting that out--receiving various wisdoms from past Avatars and advice from a giant turtle-lion creature--Zuko and Katara take another leg of the battle by confronting Zuko's crazed sister. Meanwhile, Sokka re-asserts his latent talent for commanding dangerous missions as he and earth-bender Toph attempt to sabotage Fire Nation airships. The final episodes on this disc are thrilling, in no small part because they have been so long in arriving. Before those, however, there are a couple of interesting chapters to get through, including "The Southern Raiders," in which Katara attempts to exact revenge for the disappearance of her mother. As always, there's some comic relief, in this case "The Ember Island Players," in which our heroes experience the ignominy of watching some of their previous adventures become a ridiculous, staged play. --Tom Keogh

Peanuts Holiday Collection (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown / A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving / A Charlie Brown Christmas) (Deluxe Edition)

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! A Tale of Tails

Wubbzy is an infectiously lovable cartoon character with a kooky crooked tail that lives in a CGI world of unusual looking animal characters, pink and purple trees, and buildings with zig-zaggy walls. An impulsive young creature, Wubbzy greets each day with enthusiasm and a healthy dose of curiosity and is always on the lookout for a fun new experience. When trouble arises, Wubbzy counts on his good friends Widgit, a lover of machines and master inventor, and Walden, a science whiz, to help him creatively solve even the most difficult problem. In these eight humor-filled episodes, Wubbzy and his friends engage in everything from trying to straighten out Wubbzy's crooked tail to building the fastest road racer ever, stopping a volcano from erupting, and caring for a pet fleegle. While things rarely work out like the three friends plan, they always manage to have loads of fun while discovering the value of things like friendship, liking oneself, helping others, truthfulness, self-restraint, and taking responsibility for one's actions. A Nick Jr. program with huge appeal to preschoolers and their parents, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! promises to rival the popularity of Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer. (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi

8 Episodes: A Tale of Tails - Wubbzy feels like an outsider because of his strange curvy tail the kids think it s too kooky and won t play with him, and it keeps causing trouble. Widget invents a machine, the Tail a Tronic, to straighten out Wubbzys tail, but it only makes things worse. Walden puts things in perspective by showing Wubbzy that there s nothing wrong with being a little different. And when Widgets invention, the Robo-Cluck, goes way out of control, it s Wubbzy s tail that saves the day. The other kids realize that they were totally wrong, you cant judge a Wubbzy by his tail.
Special Delivery - The Mailman leaves a package for Walden in Wubbzy s care. Wubbzy can t resist opening it, and finds a really cool toy train inside. He starts playing with it, but then he cant figure out how to stop the runaway train. He has to put it back in the box before Walden gets there! Widget tries to help him corral the train, as they wind up chasing it all over the backyard. Finally Walden shows up, and calmly uses the remote control to stop the chaos. Widgets Wild Ride - Wubbzy is excited about racing in the annual Wuzzleburg Derby. But when Widget gets a look at Wubbzy s little road-racer, she gets all kinds of great ideas for souping it up. She puts in huge wheels and turbo-engines and sails and the works. There s no way that Wubbzy can lose! Except he can t control this monster car, and it goes completely berserk stopping and spinning, and driving right into Wuzzleburg pond. Widget is sorry that she ruined Wubbzy s chance to win but maybe all is not lost yet. Attack of the 50-Foot Fleegle - Wubbzy wants a new pet, so he goes to the Pet Truck Man and gets a strange little animal called a Fleegle. The Pet Truck Man warns him to read the care manual, but Wubbzy thinks he knows how to take care of a pet. So he feeds it candy instead of the right food, and it starts growing. And growing, and growing.Soon it s a huge animal rampaging through Wuzzleburg, eating every sweet in sight! It s all Wubbzy s fault, so he has to figure out how to stop it! Come Spy with Me - Walden is acting suspicious about something he must have a secret. Wubbzy and Widget decide to spy on him; they don trench coats and fedoras, and trail him all over town. They are not the smoothest of spies, unfortunately tracking Walden to the library, they manage to knock over a whole shelf of books. Then they follow him to the Yum-Yum Restaurant, and finally to Mt. Zubba Bubba. They deduce that hes moving away! But Walden reveals that his real secret is a surprise gift for his two spying friends. Wubbzy Tells a Whopper - Wubbzy accidentally breaks Widgets Sandy-sander, and rather than tell her the truth, he concocts a story about a monstrous Growlygus who stole it. Widget is intent on tracking down the Growlygus, and insists that Wubbzy help her. Wubbzy has to keep embellishing his little fib to keep Widget from finding out the truth he leads his friends on a wild goose chase into the woods, looking for the mythical animal. The mess grows bigger and bigger until things get way out of control, and Wubbzy has to tell the truth. Bonus Episodes:
Mt. Fizzy-Pop - There s a whole lot of shaking going on in Wuzzleburg, and it s because old Mt. Fizzy-Pop on Dino Island is bubbling and rumbling. Walden is afraid that it s about to erupt! Puddle Muddle - Wubbzy is all spruced-up to get his picture taken with Widget and Walden, but en route to the studio he spots a mud puddle, and can t resist splashing around in it. Now he s all muddy, and has to take another bath. From now on he ll stay away from puddles!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN (DVD MOVIE)

Charlie Brown gets rocks in his trick-or-treat bag, Linus awaits a visitation from the Great Pumpkin in his terribly sincere pumpkin patch (while the adoring little Sally sits tight with him), Snoopy falls asleep, Lucy harasses Schroeder, and Pig-Pen kicks up a dust storm even beneath his costume in this classic television broadcast. Funny stuff, but also graced with Charles Schultz's more poignant and gently satiric themes from the 1960s on the influence of faith, failure, and hope in our lives. --Tom Keogh

The Backyardigans: Escape from Fairytale Village

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess

It's Dora The Explorer in her biggest DVD release of 2008! Dora Saves The Snow Princess is an all-new, movie- length adventure, available only on DVD! In this adventure, Dora, Boots and the Snowflake Fairy are off to save La Princessa Sabrina and her snowy forest from a mean witch who has locked her in a tower and taken away her magic snow crystal. Dora's going to need your help because time is running out and the snowy forest is almost melted!

Invader Zim Complete Invasion (3 vol. set)

The Irken armada is poised to conquer the universe, but it would be a lot easier without Invader Zim! Thickheaded, brash, and overzealous, Zim has wrecked Irken plans for the last time. Seizing the opportunity to rid themselves of this nuisance forever, they send Zim on a "secret" mission to a planet far away on the edge of the universe-Earth. Now Earth's only hope rests with a young UFO-hunting paranormal enthusiast named Dib.

Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 2 Collection

Avatar: The Complete Book 2 DVD Collection includes 20 action packed episodes from season 2/Book 2: Earth plus an inclusive never-before-seen bonus disc! This 5 disc set centers around Avatar Aangs continious quest to master the four elements. Together with Katara Sokka Momo and Appa he journeys across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor while fighting off the treachorous Princess Azula who will stop at nothing to defeat the Avatar!System Requirements:Running Time: 492 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: NR UPC: 097368511941 Manufacturer No: 851194

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 1 finds Aang, the Avatar and potential reconciler of a world divided into air, earth, water, and fire kingdoms, now a master Waterbender. That means he and companions Katara and Sokka can now leave the Northern Water Tribe and concentrate on mastering earth. New adventures and dangers await the heroic trio in the five episodes included on this DVD, which finds Aang experiencing nightmares about the power of the Avatar State. He also meets an earth kingdom general with plans for attacking the warrior tribes of the fire nation, gets trapped with possible love interest Katara in the Cave of Two Lovers, and gets pulled into a supernatural swamp by a tornado. As always, Avatar is above average as an engaging anime tale, with a wonderfully original storyline and striking artistry. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 2 The five chapters in Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 2 continue the story of young avatar Aang's adventures deep within the Earth Kingdom. As usual, each episode is a seamless blend of grave drama and comic relief, but the stakes seem higher than ever with the addition of a new member to Aang's team. Joining Katara and Sokka is Toph, a blind but powerful earthbending girl trying to obscure her aristocratic origins by defeating large, scary men in the ring. Aang recognizes Toph from his vision of an earthbending teacher, whom he needs to help him master control over the earth element. Toph also adds a kind of sardonic, tart tone to Aang's journey, ultimately leaving her world to join the series' trio of young heroes. "The Blind Bandit" finds Aang, Katara, and Sokka working hard at convincing Toph to help their mission. "Zuko Alone" carries on the tale of the firebending prince who now travels alone and anonymously, but comes close to befriending a boy in an Earth Kingdom town. (The episode is full of interesting flashbacks from Zuko's youth.) "The Chase" also concerns Zuko's past, but is primarily about Aang, Katara, and Sokka adjusting to Toph's somewhat self-centered presence on the team at the same time Princess Azula is relentlessly hunting them all down in a kind of speeding tank. "Bitter Work" finds Toph having difficulties training Aang, while "The Library" is an exotic episode about a professor who leads the crew to a library containing information useful against the Fire Nation. When they get there, they find the place guarded by the owl-like Wan Shi Tong, who begins sinking the library in defense against the perceived invaders. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 3 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 3 covers chapters 11 through 15 in the ongoing saga of Aang, the 12-year-old reincarnation of an avatar destined to reunite the warring nations of fire, earth, water, and air. Still traveling with his friends Katara, Sokka, and newcomer Toph, Aang gets into some of the strangest and most compelling situations yet seen on his journey to master control over all four elements. The first story, "The Desert," finds Aang so upset over the abduction and criminal sale of his flying bison, Appa, that the powerful boy shows a streak of rage, demonstrating to himself that he could easily use his emerging skills to harm enemies if he wished. Still, Appa remains missing through this volume, leading the gang on a mission to survive a desert sojourn and survive during a perilous flight (with a young family in tow) over a pass through mountains and ocean in "The Serpent's Pass." They also get involved in a bizarre fight (in "The Drill") against the Fire Nation army and its gigantic drill, which is aimed at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, a city occupied by earth people. Once inside Ba Sing Se, however, things get really weird: smiling officials (in "City of Walls and Secrets") outlaw any discussion of the war outside in order to keep the population placid and the economy rolling. Finally, "Tales of Ba Sing Se" is an original piece made up of individual vignettes focusing on each of the major characters. If there is anything surprising about Book 2 Earth, Volume 3, it's the amount of romance (kissing, even!) in the air. These Avatar boys and girls are growing up. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 4 The long journey of young Avatar Aang and his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph continues in this dramatic installment in the Avatar the Last Airbender series. Picking up from Volume 3, the first chapter on this disc, "Appa's Lost Days," traces the hard times of Aang's winged bison, Appa, after the latter is stolen in order to blackmail Aang into not going to the Earth King with information about a pending coup. The clever Aang manages to find Appa anyway and complete his crucial mission, though he learns, in "The Earth King," that the sheltered monarch doesn't buy the notion that his own counsel, the power-grasping Long Feng, could be behind such a conspiracy. Complicating matters is the arrival of Princess Azula to take control over forces loyal to Long Feng, while Zuko, the reformed Fire Nation prince now acting as a humble but happier servant to his wise, tea-drinking uncle, is powerless to stop her. (On the other hand, Zuko forms an unexpected bond with one of Aang's allies.) Everything comes to a head in "The Crossroads of Destiny," in which Aang, suddenly confused by the sage advice of a guru who tells him he must free himself of a crucial emotional attachment, joins the others in an uphill effort to stop Azula from overtaking the Earth King. As engaging and frequently funny as every other volume in the Avatar series, Volume Four is a great ride through a climactic time in the long-running story. --Tom Keogh

Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 1 Collection

Avatar: The Complete Book One DVD Box Set includes the collection of all Avatar Water Nation episodes. This 6 disc set will center on the Water Nation and its characters in 20 Avatar episodes (Chapters 1-20) 5 DVD s plus a bonus disc filled with incredible special features!System Requirements:Running Time 489 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 097368011946 Manufacturer No: 801194

Book 1: Water, Vol. 1
Mysterious, visually beautiful at times, and surprisingly funny, Avatar: Book 1, Volume 1 is the exciting story of Aang, a 12-year-old reincarnation of the ancient Avatar, whose purpose (in an imagined world that seems both ancient and futuristic) is to restore peace and order between warring armies of the four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. At one time or another, over thousands of years, the Avatar has been embodied in masters of each of the elements. Aang (who is freed from a century-long sleep inside an iceberg) happens to be an "airbender," capable of using air and wind as powerful forces for moving objects and defeating hostile armies of firebenders. The feature-length Avatar follows Aang and a couple of friends as he becomes reacquainted with the world he knew before his 100-year hibernation--a world now lost to history. The story also concerns internal dramas within the unforgiving world of firebenders, who are intent on destruction and conquest. This engaging story, very pleasant to look at in its rich tones of blue and orange, is for all ages. --Tom Keogh

Book 1: Water, Vol. 2
Avatar The Last Airbender, Book 1: Water, Volume 2 continues the adventurous if half-comic journey of 12-year-old Airbender Aang, reincarnation of an ancient avatar, and his friends Katara and Sokka as they seek a teacher to help Aang fulfill his peacemaking destiny in a war-torn world. The four episodes on this disc, a follow-up to the elegant, magical series introduction, find the trio wandering through sundry Earth Nation cities, where they encounter signs of troubles between the once-harmonious, elemental tribes representing fire, earth, air, and water. They also bump into trouble with the occasional evil kingdom, as in "The King of Omashu," where Aang must go through various trials to save Katara and Sokka from a bizarre execution. (They're encased in growing, crystal structures.) "Imprisoned" finds Katara inadvertently responsible for the arrest of an Earthbending boy who dares to use his powers while his people are under Firebender occupation. The ambitious, two-part "Winter Solstice" is the best production in this collection, a pairing of storylines involving the capture of a Firebender war criminal and the hopes of a frightened village that turns to Aang to defeat a monster from the spirit world. The action is still original and fun on this sequel--most of it continues to be based on exciting uses of the elements--and the lead trio's characters (Aang the scamp, Katara the idealist, Sokka the skeptic) are still a pleasure to be with. --Tom Keogh

Book 1: Water, Vol. 3
The Avatar saga continues with four of the anime series' strongest stories yet on Book 1: Water, Volume 3, mixing goofy comedy with mythic drama in the spirit of Avatar's magical debut (Book 1 Water, Volume 1) and engaging follow-up (Book 1 Water, Volume 2). Volume 3 concerns the continuing (perilous) travels of Aang, the 12-year-old Airbender destined to heal the rift between the world's air, water, fire, and earth peoples, and his friends Katara and Sokka. "The Waterbending Scroll" finds Katara so jealous over Aang's quick mastery of complicated waterbending techniques that the trio ends up in trouble with a cluster of cutthroat pirates. "Jet" is an interesting story of an adolescent boy leading a Robin Hood-like rebellion against the firebending occupiers of his land. Charismatic and rakish, Jet makes Katara swoon and becomes a hero to Aang--until his true colors and agenda show up later. "The Great Divide" places Aang and company in the position of mediating a truce between refugees seeking assistance across a great canyon. Finally, "The Storm" is a superb piece which shows us, in parallel narratives, how Aang was fleeing his oppressed life as an avatar-in-training a century earlier when he became encased in ice, and how the driven, seemingly merciless Prince Zuko lost his own boyhood innocence before setting out to capture Aang. This excellent collection carries on the series' imaginative, graceful animation, making Avatar a real pleasure to watch. --Tom Keogh

Book 1: Water, Vol. 4

Book 1: Water, Vol. 5
Chapters 17 through 20 of Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 1 Water, Vol. 5 find Aang, the 12-year-old Avatar destined to bring peace to the world by mastering the four elements, once again in direct collision with the forces of the Fire nation. In "The Northern Air Temple," a sad Aang visits the ruins of a monastery well known to him in his past life. Aang is shocked to discover a tribe of faux Airbenders living there, presided over by an inventor with a dark and even treacherous secret. "The Waterbending Master" introduces Aang to a mentor he would just as soon avoid: an old Waterbender who can teach him to move, shape, and fight with liquid, prerequisites to Aang assuming his place as the world's savior. Meanwhile, Aang's traveling companion Katara is frustrated by that same master's refusal to sharpen her own natural, Waterbending talent; until, that is, an unexpected link between them becomes clear. (Aang's other friend, Sokka, stays busy--and crazy--chasing a princess who gives him mixed signals about her romantic interest.) "The Siege of the North, Parts 1 and 2" is yet another epic confrontation between Admiral Zhao's Fire Navy fleet and the Aang gang. The twist this time is that Zhao attempts the murder of Prince Zuko, an action that cannot go without consequences. As usual, Avatar is visually exciting and highly original, an otherworldly yet fully accessible fantasy full of dreams and good humor. --Tom Keogh

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)

From the beloved best-selling series of books comes an extraordinary fantasy adventure revealing the unseen world that exists all around us. From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house peculiar things start to happen. Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances the Grace children Jared Simon and Mallory start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.System Requirements:Running Time: 101 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 097363432845 Manufacturer No: 343284

A very good adaptation of the popular series of books by Tony DiTerllizi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the few family films in recent years to seamlessly integrate magical elements with a potent drama that will strike a chord with many kids. An exceptionally talented Freddie Highmore (August Rush) plays twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, caught up in a sad shock from their parents' divorce and coping with a decision by their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to uproot the boys and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger), from New York City to a small town. There, the broken family moves into a spooky old mansion passed on to them by the kids' great-aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who is spending her twilight years in managed care and whose scientist father, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), disappeared some 80 years ago. Jared, angry, defiant, and determined to live with the father who seems to have abandoned him, investigates strange happenings and discovers Arthur's secret notations on fairies, ogres, and other mythical creatures that live both in and outside the house. Having no idea where his curiosity is leading, Jared soon finds that he and his family are under siege from goblins and a powerful ogre (Nick Nolte) who wants Arthur's notebook. Suddenly, the boy who is a lightning rod for a troubled family becomes a resourceful warrior intent on saving his loved ones from powerful forces. The Spiderwick Chronicles benefits enormously from a script (partially written by John Sayles) that treats, quite seriously, the emotional pain of its human characters and makes Jared's will to survive the very real engine of an otherwise fantastic story. It helps, too, that director Mark Waters, who brings a warm and knowing touch to outlandish material (Freaky Friday), has a way of making the spectacular elements of The Spiderwick Chronicles genuine enough to stir real excitement and suspense. This is one of the better film adaptations of best-selling fiction for kids in some years. --Tom Keogh