In 1955, after his parents died in a car accident, precocious 10-year-old Lewis (Vaccaro) goes to live with his Uncle Jonathan (Black) in Michigan. But Jonathan's gothic home is seriously odd, as is his friendly neighbour Mrs Zimmerman (Blanchett). When magical things start happening, Lewis discovers that Jonathan is a mediocre warlock, Mrs Zimmerman is a gifted witch, and both are looking for a clock hidden in the walls by the house's previous owner, the wizard Isaac (McLachlan). And the clock seems to be counting down to doomsday.

As this central mystery develops, the decidedly offbeat Lewis struggles in his new school. He befriends a tough kid (Suljic), with predictable results. And at home Lewis starts studying magic, learning to do tricks himself and getting into some serious trouble too. All of this is told from Lewis' perspective, giving the film a sort of Harry Potter vibe, although Lewis is younger and the story is deliberately sillier. (There are also 12 books so far in this series.)

The likeable Vaccaro is superb as a cheeky young boy who embraces his quirkiness. He has some terrific comical and dramatic moments along the way, often interacting with witty effects. And Black and Blanchett are a superb double act, exchanging insults with gusto while quietly stirring some subtextual chemistry into the mix. Together, these three make a team that's easy to root for as they take on what seems like an increasingly impossible task. Not that we ever doubt them for a second.

Yes, the childishness of the whole thing kind of eliminates any real suspense, but Roth continually throws in some genuinely nasty touches, from a room full of sinister dolls to a garden of malevolent pumpkins. The running gags are less successful (including one about a topiary griffin with bowel issues), but the script's sharper jokes more than make up for those. And it's particularly important that Roth remembers how sophisticated kids are, offering them some decently unsettling moments along with the solid messages about bullying and family.

themes, language, violence

3.Sep.18