the house with a clock in its walls book review

But, by virtue of Bellairs' novel predating many of them, The House with a Clock in Its Walls never comes off as a cheap knockoff of another property. In terms of the film overall, The House with a Clock in Its Walls actually seems to draw inspiration from a number of classic, popular and even less well known movies and shows. However, McLaughlin and fellow supporting actress Renée Elise Goldsberry, who plays Isaac Izard's wife Selena, get very little to do and their characters suffer greatly for it (though they still bring some fun to the table). Vaccaro does hold his own, for the most part, alongside the adult stars. Unfortunately, this also means the rest of the cast gets short-changed. Though Black and Blanchett work best together - particularly with Blanchett working exceptionally well as the straight man to Black's typically boisterous humor - they also bring a compelling amount of depth to their characters. For their parts, Black and Blanchett bring effervescent life to their roles, seemingly having as much fun playing the over-the-top characters as viewers will have watching them on screen. Kripke, who has created such beloved on-screen teams as Supernatural's Winchester brothers and Timeless' Lifeboat team, puts his stamp on the duo of Jonathan and Florence, who trade fun barbs and banter throughout the film. Still, the stars of The House with a Clock in Its Walls aren't the magic or even Vaccaro's Lewis, it's Black and Blanchett, who serve as the two core characters in the film's story. The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a magical, kid-friendly horror flick with exceptionally fun performances by Jack Black and Cate Blanchett.

Now, the books find new life in a big-screen adaptation. The novel spawned a series that consists of 12 books, with the most recent being released in 2008 (though author Brad Strickland took over following the passing of Bellairs in 1991). Now, Universal sets out to adapt the arguably lesser known 1973 mystery children's story The House with a Clock in Its Walls written by John Bellairs, with illustratrations by Edward Gorey. Earlier this year, Disney didn't quite hit the mark with their big-budget adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time, but not for lack of trying on director Ava DuVernay's part. The House with a Clock in Its Walls follows in the long Hollywood tradition of adapting classic children's novels for family-friendly fare.

The house with a clock in its walls book review