The House with a Clock in Its Walls review

THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS:

JACK BLACK CREATES SOME MAGIC AND CREEPY FAMILY FUN!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

This house knows what makes you “Tick” in The House with a Clock in Its Walls

            Director, Eli Roth (Cabin Fever (2002), Hostel, The Green Inferno) takes a break from the over-the-top blood-fests he’s best known for and steps into dark fantasy territory with The House with a Clock in Its Walls, based on the novel of the same name by John Bellairs. The film is produced under Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment and stars Jack Black (School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda trilogy, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) as a sorcerer who lives in a mysterious old house.

            I’m sure a lot of people were scratching their heads when Roth was announced to direct this movie. How can a filmmaker that’s usually known for extremely violent movies tackle something more family-friendly? Well, if Robert Rodriguez can make a successful transition with Spy Kids, I don’t see why Eli Roth can’t make a movie aimed for children and families.

            So, how does Eli Roth’s first venture into family entertainment hold up? Honestly, I had a fun time with this movie. The best I can describe it is a mix of Harry Potter, Monster House, and Goosebumps, which is funny because Jack Black also starred in that movie and the trailer for the sequel was shown before the film.

            I’ve never read the book but as a moviegoer, it’s an entertaining thrill ride for all ages, and while it doesn’t really do anything new with the comedy-horror or fantasy genres, it has just enough imagination, laughs, and creeps to admire. Sure, it relies on a lot of family movie tropes and clichés and not every joke gets a laugh, but the flaws are almost always made up for with jokes that work and a few twists and surprises.

            The film is set in 1955 and follows a young boy named Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro-Daddy’s Home 1 and 2) who, after the death of his parents, travels to New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his uncle, Jonathan (Black) in a creaky old house with a mysterious ticking heart. There he learns that Jonathan is actually a warlock and possesses magic powers.

            Jonathan and superior witch neighbor and friend, Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett-How to Train Your Dragon 2, Cinderella (2015), Thor: Ragnarok) teach Lewis how to become a warlock and he seems to be getting the hang of it. But when Lewis accidentally brings an old enemy of Jonathan and Florence back to life, the evil warlock and original owner of the house named Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan-Dune, The Doors, The Flintstones), Lewis, with the help of Jonathan and Florence, must use all his courage to prevent Isaac from activating a Doomsday clock that will end all of humanity.

            The film also stars Renée Elise Goldsberry (One Life to Live, The Good Wife, Sisters) as Selena Izard, Sunny Suljic (1915, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Mid90s) as Tarby Corrigan, Colleen Camp (Apocalypse Now, Smokey and the Bandit: Part 3, Police Academy 2 and 4) as Mrs. Hanchett, and Lorenza Izzo (Aftershock, The Green Inferno, Knock, Knock) as Mrs. Barnavelt.

            Overall, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a spooky fun time to be had and a refreshing change of pace in Eli Roth’s filmography. If you’ve seen the trailers and marketing for the movie, did Eli Roth come to mind? It looks more like something Steven Spielberg or Joe Dante would direct, and I get the feeling he was influenced by Dante’s work, particularly Gremlins when making this movie.

            Seeing Jack Black and Cate Blanchett being attacked by menacing yet humorous creatures is quite reminiscent to the Gremlins but unlike that movie it probably won’t result in parental complaints. The film manages to balance frights and humor quite nicely and they never go overboard with them.

            Jack Black is a joy to watch in this movie even if his appearance and attitude don’t quite match the time period. He’s funny, has surprisingly amazing chemistry with Cate Blanchett, and keeps you invested even when things start going bump in the night, almost like a more down to Earth version of his R.L. Stine performance from Goosebumps.

            I’m serious, Jack Black and Cate Blanchett’s on-screen chemistry works better than I was expecting. They share a friendly rivalry, though they do care about each other a lot, and throw playful insults and names at each other and there are times where you see them trying to not crack up at what they’re calling each other, apparently one half of Tenacious D and Hela from Thor: Ragnarok make quite a team.

The production design is impressive and balances between eerie and whimsical, the house looks like a creepy old mansion on the outside, but on the inside there’s a living and walking chair that surprisingly has a lot of personality, stained glass art windows that are animated and can communicate with people, and a flying lion made out of a hedge. These are such imaginative and bizarre ideas that it’s hard not to admire the film’s creativity, reminds me a lot of Hogwarts.

             I don’t see myself watching this movie multiple times when it comes out on home media like the Harry Potter films, but as a first viewing, I had a lot of fun and just in time for Halloween. The House with a Clock in Its Walls is creepy fun for the entire family and hopefully Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween will be just as entertaining and funny as this film.