Parents need to know that violence is a part of this game's play. You must bash goblins with bats, stab them with swords, or squirt them with burning juice until they bleed green blood and fade away. Even more intense are the "boss battles" with Redcap, the leader of the goblins, and Malgarath, the scary-looking ogre. When playing with the Wii, you make the bashing motion while holding the Wii remote so you feel like you are whacking them to death. Even when you play as the good magical creature called Thimbletack, you must shoot cockroaches with needles to keep them from biting you. At times, kids can get lost within this world and be forced to run around just looking for a way out. Awkward camera angles force you to play blindly at times which can be frustrating.

Families can talk about whether they think the game fairly represents the world described in The Spiderwick Chronicles books. Were you drawn to the game because of the movie or the book? Which character did you prefer playing as and why?