Five pounds of poo in a one pound bag.
Arthur and the Invisibles (2007)
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Reviews Counted:86
Fresh:18
Rotten:68
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Arthur wastes its big-name voice talent on a predictable script and substandard CG animation.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for fantasy action and brief suggestive material.
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:Jan 12, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $15,004,318
Synopsis: Director Luc Besson (THE FIFTH ELEMENT) tries his hand at a children's film with ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES. Based on a book, this adventure follows Arthur (Freddie Highmore) as he journeys in his... Director Luc Besson (THE FIFTH ELEMENT) tries his hand at a children's film with ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES. Based on a book, this adventure follows Arthur (Freddie Highmore) as he journeys in his own backyard to save his home from greedy land developers. When his grandfather disappears, Freddie follows a series of clues that lead him to the land of the Minimoys (aka the Invisibles). Arthur's entrance into their realm takes the film from live-action to computer animation, changing Arthur from a 10-year-old boy into one of the Minimoys. The elf-like people he encounters are so tiny that insects dwarf them. Their warrior princess (voiced by Madonna) is ready to ascend the throne of the tiny kingdom. But first she and Arthur must join forces to outwit the evil Malthazar (voiced by David Bowie), who is intent on destroying the kindhearted race. ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES boasts a cast of talented actors. Mia Farrow plays Arthur's concerned grandmother, which is quite a change from her malevolent nanny in THE OMEN. The trio of musicians-turned-actors (Madonna, Snoop Dogg, and Bowie) are all fun in their vocal roles, and Bowie particularly shines as the villain. Other standouts include Robert De Niro, Jimmy Fallon, Harvey Keitel, and Jason Bateman, while Highmore brings the same wide-eyed wonder to the screen as he did in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. In fact, ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES shares a similar imaginative spirit with the works of Tim Burton and Roald Dahl. Though Besson's previous films have been adults-only fare like LA FEMME NIKITA, he brings a sense of childlike awe to this project. [More]
Starring: Robert De Niro, Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Freddie Highmore
Starring: Robert De Niro, Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Jimmy Fallon, Jason Bateman, Harvey Keitel, Anthony Anderson, Chazz Palminteri
Director: Luc Besson
Director: Luc Besson
Screenwriter: Celine Garcia
Producer: Emmanuel Prevost
Composer: Eric Serra
Studio: Weinstein Company
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Release:
May 15, 2007
DVD Features:
- Keep Case
- Widescreen
Additional Release Material:
Music Video:
- 1. "Quest For Love" - Jewel
- 2. "Beautiful Day" - Elijah
Trailers:
- 1. The Chosen Trailer from the 'Make Your Own Arthur"
- 2. Theatrical Trailer
Featurette:
- 1. The Voices of Arthur and The Invisibles
- 2. In the Recording Studio with Jewel
Interactive Features:
Interactive Games:
- 1. Mash-Up Game
Reviews for Arthur and the Invisibles
Arthur and the Invisibles has a story so psychedelic that each movie ticket purchased should also include a black light poster and some incense. Kids weaned on the likes of Pixar and Shrek won't know what to make of it.
Highmore has been given a free pass from Besson to act his little heart out, and this gifted kid has decided to use the Dakota Fanning 3000 method of predictable, robotic child acting. It's disappointing to witness.
It took me a few minutes to get used to the strange look of the Minimoy universe in 'Arthur and the Invisibles,' but I soon became enchanted with it.
To put it bluntly, this film has more plot holes than a Swiss cheese.
Succumbing to the in-joke trend popular in children's films, Luc Besson's visually attractive movie spoils its own fantasy spell with anachronistic references and a quickly resolved story line.
While technically polished and adequately executed Arthur, like most of Besson's movies, is a strangely soulless experience.
Besson is a pro when it comes to action movies, but this part live, part animation effort is a mess, highlighted by creepy animation, derivative plot points and a child star who speaks way too fast.
The story [Besson] co-wrote for Arthur is workable, even clever at times, but the visualization of the Minimoys and their crib is weird and almost aggressively off-putting -- like an episode of When CGI Attacks!
The film jumps and starts all over the place and simply isn't cohesive enough to appeal much beyond youngsters.
Luc Besson serves up a hybrid of live actors and computer-generated figures to tell a not-endearing-enough story about a boy who shrinks to microscopic size to find his missing grandfather.
[Arthur and the Invisibles is] a film for kids who want to know what headaches feel like.
Nothing in this movie works. Maybe all that tweaking helped, but I'm not betting on it.
There's a reason American animated filmmakers don't use the great Robert De Niro, Jason Bateman and Madonna to voice their cartoons. These big names add nothing to this frustrating goulash of fairy tales and fantasy-film ingredients.
This kids' cartoon from France is such a surreally demented attempt to connect with children that it's the equivalent of foie gras breakfast cereal or a bleu cheese milkshake.
Good intentions, a full complement of parts, and proper assembly do not guarantee a successful result.
It might have been just another humdrum children's film if not for Highmore, who brings the same charm he did in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland to this fun movie.
Directed by Luc Besson, this inventive family movie sets up the most delightful premise, then squanders it on the kind of yawn-inducing CG adventure you might expect from one of those long, plot-heavy cut scenes that slow down video games.
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