Review: The House with a Clock in the Wall

“An old school style family film with just enough to keep you interested”

This film feels like it would have been great had Tim Burton directed it, you know, back when Tim Burton made good films. It feels very much up his alley. Strangely, it’s been directed by Eli Roth, and if you’ve ever taken a look up Roth’s alley, you’d know the word ‘family’ never appears in the description.

The film was made on a budget of $40 mil, which sounds a lot, but in today’s movie world, it’s a fairly low budget and it shows in the style of the film. The film uses a lot of practical effects and sets, with a few old school techniques, which is charming and refreshing. However, there is plenty of CGI as well, which is the less successful part of the film.

The film is based on the 1973 book of the same name, and despite being part of a 12 book series, the film doesn’t seem to be too busy in setting up a franchise, which is very refreshing. Much about this film is very different to the disastrous A Wrinkle in Time from earlier in the year.

The cast is extremely small, spending much of the film with just three characters, played by Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and young Owen Vaccaro.

Black was an interesting choice and for the most part he is very restrained in the role. On occasions the film finds ways to add a bit of Blacks humour to the story, but in general, he has to remain within the confines of the script. Blanchett is much more suited to her role, and seems to be enjoying herself. Her character too though is somewhat subdued and doesn’t get a lot to do despite major screen time. Finally, Vaccaro, a very young actor who did a solid job, but certainly felt like he had attended the early Harry Potter movies school of child acting.

I'm sure I heard a fart joke in here somewhere

The film is solid overall and the short running time of 105 minutes is suitable (in fact, it could be trimmed slightly). I’m not sure if kids will really love it, as it doesn’t have a lot of humour and the minimal sets and characters might struggle to engage their imagination. But if you’re looking for a family film that plays like an older film with a few modern touches, then this film might fit your requirements.

The five bearded questions:

1. Was it worth a cinema trip? Pretty much

2. Would I See It Again at the Cinema? No.

3. Would I buy it on Blu-ray: (only films I really love get bought these days) No 4. Do I Recommend people see it? If you’re looking to fill some time these school holidays.

5. Any cheese/ Disney style bullshit?: (such as jokes wedged in at serious moments, because fun!). Not really. The jokes are fairly minimal.