From its very first frame, “The Spiderwick Chronicles” gallops onto the screen, making its intentions known loudly and clearly. It’s obvious this is not a fantasy interested in mystical lands or ancient fairy tales, but an adventure about the here and now. It’s a veritable parade of goblins, griffins, and trolls, all pouring onto the screen at a pace mimicking our go-go digital age.

The action begins with a crackle of lightning and the frantic, shadowy movements of a man at work in his lab. In a series of quick edits, we see slivers of his collection: glass jars filled with miniature squids, big-eyed toads still looking this way and that, and a handful of butterflies pinned to a piece of paper. As magnifying lenses are used and notes are scribbled, this could be a mad scientist sequence straight out of “Frankenstein.” Or, if you mixed in a few pictures of orcs and hobbits, maybe a scene lifted from the inner sanctum of “Lord of the Rings.”

But this is no regurgitation of the fantasy formula that the “Rings” trilogy made a cinema staple. It’s an exciting and innovative twist, and more than that, it has the backbone to be audacious in ways that movies such as “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Golden Compass,” and “The Last Mimzy” did not. In fact, “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” which is based on the novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, has the temerity to make the stakes even higher than those of “Lord of the Rings.”

The scientist at work in that dark laboratory is Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), and it isn’t until 80 years later that his sealed book of notes and specimens is reopened by his great-nephew. After decades of neglect, Arthur’s house is again inhabited by Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), who moves in with her three children — twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore) and their older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger). It’s clear that a painful separation for Helen and her husband has escalated into something permanent, and in her sadness and Jared’s anger, we are witnessing a family in free fall.

Everything changes when Jared, investigating strange noises, discovers not just Spiderwick’s laboratory and his sealed binder of notes, but a strange miniature creature who introduces himself as Thimbletack, protector of the book. As Thimbletack explains, Spiderwick’s devotion to studying nature and wildlife led him to uncover a secret world of plants and animals that govern the planet outside of human view. The recovered book was his field guide, a meticulous accounting of every species and genus, as well as his analysis of the war currently being waged by an evil ogre.

Unlike “Lord of the Rings” and its prized jewelry, or the magic of “Harry Potter,” “Spiderwick” is based on the premise that knowledge is the ultimate weapon, and deep within this book rests the fate of the world. As Spiderwick seals the field guide 80 years ago — terrified the ogre could use it to learn how to destroy every living thing — and as Jared opens it in the present, the same shock wave emanates from the old house, alerting the armies of darkness that the book has returned.

Sound silly? Sure, it might sound like child’s play, but clearly someone forgot to pass that memo along to director Mark Waters. About the time the first wave of snarling, armed goblins attacks the house, “Spiderwick Chronicles” ceases to feel silly. Jared turns to his great-uncle’s book not out of curiosity, but in an effort to prevent the murder of his family.

In tone, the movie feels more like the anxious “I Am Legend” than the whimsical “Chronicles of Narnia.” For Jared and his siblings, the house is their fortress, the book their golden treasure. Setting aside their iPods and Play-Station, they start devising battle strategies and constructing an array of weapons. Learning as they go, we learn right over their shoulders, and there’s definitely a sense of panic and real danger at play. When a central character gets stabbed in the chest with a knife, all bets are off.

For his part, Mr. Waters has established himself as one of Hollywood’s more capable hired hands. In “Freaky Friday,” “Mean Girls,” and now “Spiderwick Chronicles,” he has taken potentially routine genre films and turned out smart, character-driven stories. He does so again here with a palpable sense of peril, darkness, and gravity, making this intersection of reality and the fantasy world about something more than just cute special effects.

There’s no hint of a cliffhanger in “Spiderwick” — and what a welcome surprise that is — but given the film’s briefly glimpsed hierarchy of creatures and the lively rhythm Mr. Waters has brought to the chase, it wouldn’t be surprising if this turns out to be the post-“Rings” franchise with staying power.

ssnyder@nysun.com