Spiderwick Chronicles... the first review

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" tie-in game came out on Tuesday, but as far as I can tell, Variety is the first outlet to review it. (Nothing on any of the big gaming sites, no entries on MetaCritic). I understand it's probalby not too popular with the core IGN reader, while an adapatation of a major film release is much more important to Variety. But I'll still pretty happy that Variety is not only competing when it comes to news and reviews of "mainstream" game releases, but taking the lead on videogames with a Hollywood connection.

Here's an excerpt of the review from our crack critic Matt Peckham:

Games based on family movies often look and play like cheaply made quickies, but that's not the case with Sierra's pleasantly bright "The Spiderwick Chronicles," which turns in a surprisingly enjoyable if brief performance. It's mostly a grand Easter egg hunt punctuated by average mini-games and shallow combat, but what the game lacks in boldness it makes up for in wholesome design and rapid-fire pacing. Except for a frustrating patch during the denouement, "Spiderwick" is a well-made tie-in to the Par/Nick fantasy film opening next week and should sell well with fans of the books and pic.

Read the whole thing here.