Review of The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) by Davidwashere — 28 Sep 2018

So I had no real interest in watching this film really. There wasn't much out and my mom wanted to see this movie, and I begrudgingly went because it looked like the best option out, plus it has Kyle MacLachlan in it (Twin Peaks forever!!!). So I went and I honestly got to say it was surprisingly decent. I won't say this movie is good, given that I rated it as an average film in my books, but it was better than what I expected.

Owen Vaccaro is okay as the lead role. I won't say it's amazing, but for child acting he's passable. There are a few bad deliveries from him, but for the most part he didn't annoy me. Most of the child acting here is alright too. The adult acting is far better, and no one foamed in a performance as they all really cared about making the film, which is a huge plus! Jack Black is probably the weak link of the bunch as his usual Jack Black shtick sticks out in the 1950s setting, but for the most part he was pretty good. Cate Blanchett is great as usual, and her and Jack Black do have great banter and funny quips at each other. Kyle MacLachlan doesn't get a ton to do, but he's good as usual, plus his role as the big bad is actually rather menacing than what we usually get from family films.

The biggest surprise for me was that Eli Roth of all people did a decent job directing. And I am not saying that because he diverted from his usual extreme horror and gorefest films, I actually do not like him as a director honestly. He usually relies more on cheap thrills than on actually making interesting or fun movies to watch, which is very clear given the terrible remake to Death Wish earlier this year. And while I still don't think he's all that great of a director, the shot composition is basic and uninspired, the movie does come to life whenever the film gets to the magical, weirder, and darker moments of the film, which are the highlights of the film. The more creepy and strange the movie gets, the more alive it feels. There's a lot of charm and a reminder of earlier Tim Burton films like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, which is always a plus. Roth did make a ton of effort in making the film and it does show. There's a ton of energy and enthusiasm that comes from the film with the cast and terrific production design. The costumes, makeup, and prop design do a great job creating a strange looking film, and more than makes up for the by-the-number film-making.

However I cannot really say this movie would make up for how generic the film is. And I don't mean the premise is generic, it certainly is unique of a premise. However when it comes with the structure, you've seen this before in a lot of children's films, right down to the cliched conflicts and character traits. It's a very safe film even with the scary elements that do manage to spice up the average structure of the film. The charm of the film does make up for it, but if the movie does not have any interest in this film, you don't have to watch it. Families and kids will enjoy it, but for the most part you can just rent it or watch it on TV or Netflix as background noise. Again not bad, just kind of pleasantly average.