But no one prays-and the miracle happens anyway, which seems to say that it’s all about fate anyway. Less subtle is the film’s New Age spirituality, which has characters describing the “Yin and the Yang,” a Buddhist concept, and saying, “May the spirits of the ancients go with you.” At one point, the grandfather insists that the only thing that can save them is prayer, because they need a miracle, implying that this is clearly a means of last resort. The message, though subtle, is the usual one about kids being able to do great things and parents who are clueless and incompetent. The plot arc is shaky, and Besson seems to have haphazardly thrown it all together. However, the bigger problem is the subject matter itself, which is an unoriginal hodgepodge of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Camelot and Harry Potter, to name just a few. We’ve seen it done far better in many films, from The Dark Crystal to Antz.
This is his first attempt at CGI, however, so while it’s not terrible, it’s also not particularly inspired, either. Writer/director Luc Besson ( La Femme Nikita) developed this script from two of his children’s books, which moves rather effortlessly between live action and animation. Arthur has but 48 hours to not only save his farm, but also return to normal size, lest he stay with the Minimoys for ten more months, during which he will be forced to watch the farm bulldozed and replaced by condos. The only problem is, the clock is ticking. During their journey they share a drink with a Rastafarian bar owner ( Snoop Dogg) and engage in plenty of antics. He then leads Selenia and her brother, Betameche ( Jimmy Fallon) to find the rubies -and straight into the lair of Maltazar, who is waiting to kill them. But when they are suddenly invaded by the flying mosquito soldiers of The Evil Maltazar ( David Bowie), Arthur retracts the sword and saves the day. Alas, she cannot pull the Arthurian sword from the stone. Selenia is convinced that she is not only the heir to the throne, but also the one who has been designated to save her people. It also transforms him into an animated character that looks like a cross between Billy Idol and Don King.ĭown in the grass, under the ground where the Minimoys live, Arthur meets the Minimoy king ( Robert De Niro) and his daughter, Princess Selenia ( Madonna). The telescope shrinks Arthur, however, to the size of a small insect. He deciphers a strange code, follows the instructions left on the map and, with the help of the African tribe who gave his grandfather the rubies, travels down a telescope into a miniature kingdom of the Minimoys. When a self-serving real estate developer ( Adam LeFevre) threatens to take the farm, Arthur goes on the hunt for his grandfather and the treasure. Fortunately, his grandmother also enjoys regaling Arthur with tales of her husbands’ exploits, especially his travels to the land of the Minimoys, right in their backyard, where he swears to have buried a stash of rubies. He left behind his books and inventions, however, which fascinate Arthur for hours on end. It’s 1960, and Arthur’s grandfather ( Ron Crawford), a faithful engineer who once served the needy in Africa, is gone, having mysteriously disappeared several years ago. Ten-year-old Arthur ( Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is spending the summer with his grandmother ( Mia Farrow) on her farm in rural Connecticut, while his parents ( Penny Balfour and Douglas Rand) look for work in the city. Rating: PG (for fantasy action and brief suggestive material)Īctors: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Madonna, Jimmy Fallon, Ron Crawford, Penny Balfour, Douglas Rand, Adam LeFevre, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Snoop Dogg, David Bowie, Emilio Estevez
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