Arthur and the Invisibles

Arthur and the Invisibles purportedly marks filmmaker Luc Besson’s final directorial effort, and there’s little doubt that the movie is far from the crowning achievement that one might’ve hoped for. The film mixes live-action and computer-animated footage, and follows precocious adolescent Arthur (Freddie Highmore) as he travels into the magical world of the Minimoys – where he must find his grandfather’s hidden treasure in order to save his home from imminent destruction. Though Arthur and the Invisibles‘ early scenes hold some promise – Besson does a nice job of envisioning Arthur’s off-kilter real-life world – the film goes downhill in a hurry once the action shifts to the Minimoys’ mystical landscape. Crudely animated and infused with juvenile bits of humor, there’s no overlooking the tediousness of this aspect of the movie – which, as it turns out, forms the bulk of the too-long running time. It’s cute enough, certainly, and there’s little doubt that children will thrill to the Minimoys’ colorful antics – yet there’s exceedingly little here to hold the interest of even the most patient adult.

** out of ****