![]() It was a role he played well but I fully expected him, as with a plethora of child actors, to then disappear into fresh air. Freddie Highmore was Charlie in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But it's the young lead who really takes centre stage. Robert de Niro, Harvey Keitel, Madonna and Mia Farrow all feature. The cast list reads like a Hollywood Who's Who. So, joining forces with an almost improbably beautiful princess, Arthur sets off on his perilous mission. The home of these "invisibles" is also in peril: in their case, because of a malevolent wizard. In trying to find the haul Arthur must unlock the passageway to an underground world populated by curious, minute creatures. ![]() But this is no straight-forward, stroll in the park search. His grandfather is missing, but handily he's left the boy a series of clues to a hidden treasure trove which, if it's found, could be used to pay off the money- grubbing developers. The tale's young hero, Arthur, is battling to save his grandparents' home from the clutches of real estate developers. Stories such as The Sword in the Stone, Alice in Wonderland and The Borrowers. It's a story which echoes, and affectionately pays homage to, many of the very best Children's stories. Luc Besson's Arthur and the Invisibles does just that and does it brilliantly with a mix of stunningly shot live action and wonderfully crafted, sometimes breath-taking CGI animation. What should be a breezy thrill-ride turns into a frenzied rush to cram it all in, causing a number of the films seminal moments to become anti-climatic.īottom line: Better off invisible.Every now and then it's nice to be reminded of the power of the imagination of what it was like as children to escape to other worlds and embark on remarkable adventures. ![]() ![]() There is simply too much exposition and backstory to effectively accommodate the running time. This goes doubly so for Highmore, who does awesome turns in both live action and cartoon form. Better yet, the winning characters responsible for voicing these gems are piped by celebrities who-although overly marketable (Madonna, Snoop Dogg, David Bowie)-perfectly fade into the beautifully-animated elfin landscape. Though not wholly original (think The Secret of Nimh meets TVs The Littles), Bessons Minimoy world is buoyed by the writer/directors laudable infusion of his signature smart-alecky humor. Fantastically inventive, Arthur and the Invisibles certainly demonstrates a richness of these impressive trappings, meaning it has the potential to delight even the brattiest of children but it ultimately proves to be an over-abundance of riches, a wealth that could potentially make the audience a bit bratty.īased on Bessons childrens book ∺rthur et les Minimoys, this PG-rated story follows a ten year boy (Highmore) who, in an effort to secure a treasure that will save his grandmothers (Marrow) house from being demolished, ventures to a world where the inhabitants are a tenth of an inch high. Served well by his inspired lunacy in crafting the deliciously intoxicating sci-fi/fantasy guilty pleasure The Fifth Element, director Luc Besson has smartly honed his obvious gift for designing trippy alien landscapes and their unique backstories on a family franchise. ![]()
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