[Review] The House With A Clock In Its Walls (6.5/10)

Title: The House With A Clock In Its Walls
Production: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Kyle MacLachlan, Owen Vacarro
Writer: Eric Kripke
Director: Eli Roth
Release: 21 September 2018

There is no way anyone who has never read the book will be able to remember the exact title for this movie. No way. And that is already a disadvantage going in.

Owen Vacarro, the kid from Daddy's Home franchise and star of this movie, for the most part was great. You cared about his character and you forgive his flaws and mistakes. Though sometimes he tended to overact, especially when he acted frightened. He also has one of the most annoying high-pitched screams.

Jack Black and Cate Blanchett had great chemistry right from the start. Their bickerings were the best parts of the movie.

However, the first act was the slowest first act of the year. I could not be bothered to sit through so I tried sleeping!

But once Vacarro discovered magic, that was when things started to pick up... to a certain degree because they never amounted to much. Plus there wasn't any big ending fight sequence so it just plateaued.

The big surprise here was Eli Roth, his first foray into a PG-13 movie - and a kid's movie no less. I thought apart from the first act, he actually did quite well. The horror bits sprinkled all over the movie was quite good. The CGI, however, was just adequate.