“Use the litter box!”

From The House with a Clock in Its Walls.

When a fatal car accident leaves young Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) an orphan, he moves across the country to live with a relative that he’s never met before: his Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black).  While slightly odd, Jonathan is also extremely kind and funny, instantly welcoming Lewis into his home and life.  Lewis is quickly introduced to Jonathan’s neighbor Mrs. Zimmermann (Cate Blanchett) who regularly cooks delicious cookies for her eccentric friend.  Jonathan and Lewis live in an amazingly huge and fascinating house that has rooms filled with crazy furniture, antique clocks, magical windows, and the never-ending ticking of a clock in every wall.  Lewis is scared by the mysterious clock in the walls, until Uncle Jonathan explains that he is a warlock and Mrs. Zimmermann is a witch; they also explain that before Jonathan, a wicked warlock (Kyle MacLachlan) and his wife (Renée Elise Goldsberry) lived in the house and they left the constantly-ticking clock behind. Struggling to cope with the loss of his parents, Lewis is sometimes able to see his mother (Lorenza Izzo) in his dreams where she encourages him to be brave and explore his new life and home, so Lewis convinces Jonathan to teach him how to be a warlock as well. When an attempt to impress Tarby (Sunny Suljic), the only friend that Lewis managed to make, has terrible and unintended consequences, it is up to Lewis, his uncle, and purple-loving neighbor to find and stop the clock before it causes the end of the world.

This movie is a treat for viewers of all ages; children will enjoy the brilliant displays of magic, while adults can enjoy the humor and witty banter between Black and Blanchett. The breath-taking special effects and the vibrant sets easily bring the 1973 book to life. The acting is solid, except for any scenes with Vaccaro’s crying which seems unfortunately very forced. While most of the movie is whimsical and humorous over scary, there are several scenes and characters that are intensely disturbing, even if very brief. Overall, House with a Clock is a fun family movie that manages to capture all the right elements.

| Rated: PG | Running Time: 100 minutes |Genre: fantasy/mystery/movie adaptation |

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 1 of 10|Nudity: 0.5 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 2 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|