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What do you get if you take the charm of 'The Bridge to Terabithia' and mix it with the quirkiness of 'Lemony Snicket' and the dark undertones of 'Harry Potter'?

Something that vaguely resembles the 'Spiderwick Chronicles' — a movie saved from being yet another in a long list of fantasy-books-turned-movies by a light directorial touch on the part of Mark Waters ('Mean Girls'), child actor Freddie Highmore and the promise of no sequel.

Adapted from Holly Black's series of children's novels by screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles, the film offers a substantial and enchanting story without pushing the screen time beyond tolerable lengths.

The talented Highmore ('August Rush' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory') takes on the dual role of twins Jared and Simon Grace. Jared is a difficult adolescent — angry with his parents' divorce and laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of his wronged mother — while Simon is a quiet bookworm with a gentle nature.

The boys, together with their older spunky sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and frazzled mother Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), move into the old home of their crazy great-aunt Lucinda Spiderwick (Joan Plowright) who has been institutionalised because she claimed her father was spirited away by fairies.

The big old home — with its salt-coated entrances and stockpiles of honey and tomato sauce — is a little odd and it takes the New Yorkers some time to adjust. In doing so, the adventurous Jared discovers his great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick's study and with it his book, a 'Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You'.

The tome opens Jared's eyes to a world of fairies, goblins and ogres. Unfortunately the most evil ogre of them all, Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), wants to get his hands on the book — it contains all the knowledge of the fantastical universe and will enable him to become the most powerful being in the world.

As Jared tries to convince his siblings that he is not talking rubbish (this time), he has to battle the nasty goblins, thwart Mulgarath’s evil plans and come to terms with his father's desertion.

While Mulgarath is impressively terrifying (in fact, he may be a little too scary for younger kids), the film falls short when it comes to the 'good' creatures which don't make enough of an impression.

That being said, the story — with its convincing relationships and old-fashioned charm — is not overawed by epic battle-scenes or flashy CGI. And in a world where it's all about flashy visual effects, that's nothing short of magical in itself.