Time to believe
Artemis Fowl is the new attempt by Disney to reincarnate a once-popular franchise. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film tells the story of Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw), a young criminal mastermind who is trying to find his father after he suddenly disappears.
One of the most significant disadvantages of this film is the visuals. When people hear the word ”magic’ with regards to a film, they expect colourful, glittering effects, especially in 2020. Impressive spells like those seen in Doctor Strange show the power of cinematography and are more of the modern standard expected. Artemis Fowl fails to meet these expectations; fairies are basically people in costume and the magic world looks more like Wonka’s factory rather than a wonderful, magical place. Overall, this film looks like something from the 90s rather than a pricey recent blockbuster.
Another big problem with the film is its logic. Artemis Fowl throws a lot of random facts, magic laws and stories at the viewer which can be difficult for those who are unfamiliar with the original series of books to understand. The story is told as if it is a book, with many explanations given by the ”author”, however in this film, it doesn’t work. This is partly because of the acting and partly because of the fact that it is unrealistic for the narrator to know all the details when he is not present at the events for most of the story..
Artemis Fowl possesses an impressive cast which includes Judi Dench, Colin Farrell, Josh Gad and many supporting actors who have worked with Disney before. Having said this, the acting is standard and vague- nobody shines in this film. Nothing extraordinary is brought to distinguishing their characters, so it is hard to believe and empathize with them. Essentially, the actors are simply fillers in this film and nothing would change if you swapped the cast out for anyone else. Is this really what you expect from A-list Hollywood stars?
To sum up, it is necessary to make it clear that Artemis Fowl is not something you may want to waste your time watching; it just simply does not work on multiple different levels. It is not a bad film, but is incredibly vague. Similarly, it will not ruin your childhood but could definitely disappoint. For those not familiar with the franchise, Artemis Fowl is a glaring example of a story which for now is better as a book rather than as a film.
2 stars
Image Credit: TheMovieDB
