Artemis Fowl

A 12-year-old criminal prodigy descended from a long line of masterminds is introduced in Artemis Fowl, which is based on Eoin Colfer's best-selling fantasy trilogy. Artemis must carry out a risky plan when his father (Colin Farrell) is abducted by an enigmatic villain: kidnap a fairy and demand a ransom of money to pay for the rescue. This puts him in direct opposition to Root, the strict commander of LEPrecon, the underground fairy police force.

The film's distinctive production design, which includes Art Deco architecture and bioluminescent technology in Haven City, successfully brings Colfer's underground civilization to life. While Gad's dwarf character provides steady amusement with a blend of humor and usefulness, the "time freeze" magic scenes are artistically creative. Despite a shaky storyline, Dench's portrayal of Commander Root adds gravitas, and her dedication is evident. Physical impacts help to place the fantasy in a more concrete world for the troll adversary and goblin characters. During the siege of Fowl Manor, the movie briefly gains coherence and creates some suspense through the interaction of Artemis's tactics and fairy technology, even though the stakes are still quite abstract.

The core of the original novels is compromised by the film's drastic change in Artemis's character from a malevolent antihero to a typical heroic child. Ferdia Shaw's lackluster performance falls short of evoking strong feelings, and a hastily written screenplay reduces a lot of world-building to incomprehensible bits. The plot is hampered by inconsistent character motivations and off-screen events, especially Holly Short's shallow character journey. A lack of commitment to either comedy or adventure is evident in the film's humor, which alternates between serious issues and flatulence jokes. Furthermore, the complexities of the fairy society are only briefly discussed, which leaves enthusiasts frustrated and non-readers perplexed. There are unclear action scenes, and the movie ends with a franchise premise that doesn't seem likely to come to fruition.

An example of a disastrous adaptation failure is Artemis Fowl, which turns subversive source material into banal, unintelligible family entertainment. The lure of the book—a teenage protagonist who starts out morally tainted and develops via real struggle—is sanitized into traditional heroism that neither respects the original nor achieves success on its own terms. What remains (production design, sporadic Gad/Dench moments) is overshadowed by emotional emptiness and narrative confusion. After COVID-19 interrupted theatrical plans, it was released straight to Disney+. Although quality would have doomed it anyhow, it ended up being a streaming premiere rather than a theatrical letdown.

Staff:

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Written by: Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl

Based on: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Produced by: Kenneth Branagh and Judy Hofflund

Starring: Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Colin Farrell, and Judi Dench.

Cinematography: Haris Zambarloukos

Edited by: Matthew Tucker

Music by: Patrick Doyle

Production company: Walt Disney Pictures

Distributed by: Disney+

Release date: June 12, 2020

Running time: 93 minutes