Jared (Highmore), his twin Simon, and sister Mallory (Bolger) move into a rural mansion with their mom (Parker) and discover that their new home is a gateway into a world of magical creatures, some of which aren't so nice. Evil Mulgarath (Nolte) wants a magic book written by Jared's ancestor, and it's up to Jared to protect it while convincing his siblings that the charmed world outside their door is real. Well-written, ably directed adaptation of the bestselling children's series.