The Spiderwick Chronicles rises above most family fare in that it boasts a truly interesting and provocative fantasy premise without taking itself too seriously. Yes, there are the customary family issues that set the backdrop for almost every family box-office smash, but this film actually incorporates them into the meaning of the story as a whole. The main character, Jared (played by the always remarkable Freddie Highmore), is much closer with his father who has recently separated from his stressed-out and seemingly depressed mother. And, while most films of this type would take this story line to cliched heights of ridiculous magnitude, Jared's loyalty for his father is instead tested and stressed based on what is actually happening in the main plot of the story, not thrown in to exploit the emotions of the patriarchal audience. And the sub-plot of Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn? YES!) and his neglect for his daughter because of his obsessive research in the "fantastical world around him" seems in fact symbolic of any of the characters' neglect of the realities of the world and what they have to face as human beings.
And, looking at the film as compared to any other film, and not just in contrast with other family films, there is one very noticable high point that I found very interesting. The villain, the first unloveable ogre put on the screen since the original Shrek, is not completely big and bad. It is in actuality one of the most vulnerable creatures (including the humans) on the screen. His undying fixation on getting the Field Guide (of the magical realm?) is an ultimate weakness, shown deliberately by the film-makers, most prominently during the final stand-off between him and Jared. During this struggle, the ogre is both seemingly invincible yet strangely pathetic in his attempts, heightened by a clever cameo of Jared's father (it's predictable, but effective--watch the film and see what I mean).
And the ending, both incredibly ironic and abrubtly hilarious, just goes to show what's great about this movie: it can be very, very out there without being at all pretentious. It is strictly fantasy, and not once does it try to be anything other than escapist fun.