The Spiderwick Chronicles received generally favorable reviews from critics; it was called "decent entertainment,"[5] "a work of both modest enchantment and enchanting modesty,"[6] and "modest and reasonably charming."[7] However, it was criticized for its reliance on special effects; a reviewer for The New York Times said that the movie "feels more like a sloppy, secondhand pander" and called it "frantic with incident and hectic with computer-generated effects,"[8] and another said that "the sense of wonder and magic is lost in the shuffle."[9]
Despite some negative reviews for the film overall, Highmore was generally praised for his dual role as the twins Simon and Jared. One critic said that he "skillfully portrays two distinctive personas,"[10] another said he "[had] no trouble grasping the task at hand,"[11] and a third remarked that, "the most special effect is probably Highmore".[12]
As of October 2008, the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 80% of critics gave the film positive reviews with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10, based on 143 reviews,[13] and Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 30 reviews.[14]