Review "Artemis Fowl" by Kenneth Branagh: A film without history

Initially, Artemis Fowl was to be released in cinemas. But because of the Covid_19 pandemic, the feature film will have to be limited to a release directly on Disney +. This is the new film by Kenneth Branagh (Thor, The Crime of the Orient Express) adapted from the cult literary saga of Eoin Colfer. For the occasion, it brings together Colin Farrell, Judi Dench and Josh Gad, accompanied by the young Ferdia Shaw in the skin of Artemis Fowl Jr. Artemis Fowl tells the story of an extremely intelligent and wealthy young heir descended from a long line of criminals. He discovers the hard way that the world is not what it really is. Another universe develops in the center of the Earth, consisting of fairies, goblins, dwarves and other famous fantastic creatures. The young Artemis will then have to embark on a perilous quest to save his father.

An insipid film that serves as a (too) long introduction

Kenneth Branagh had a generous content and thick enough to offer an amazing and unexpected work. He could offer a modern reinterpretation of Tolkien 's universe by transposing heroic-fantasy into a contemporary reality. Despite this dense material to exploit, the filmmaker completely misses his film. He signs an uninteresting work of disconcerting platitude. Artemis Fowl is not really a movie. Instead of being a thrilling adventure, the filmmaker simply ticks the boxes of the specifications by proposing a too long introduction. There is no real film. It is more of a long contextualization that only scratches the surface of the universe and the potential of this fairy world. Kenneth Branagh focuses his story on the Fowl mansion, abandoning all other settings, all other worlds and territories to explore. Almost in the form of a closed eight, Artemis Fowl is a slow and insipid introduction that serves as a preliminary. A simple installation of a larger universe, the kind of lying film that offers nothing but the prologue of its story…

Artemis Fowl : visual as well as writing emptiness

It's still quite crazy to see Kenneth Branagh fail in everything he does for this work. His characters are poorly introduced and terribly bland. Whether it's the hero, misdirected head-to-head, or the secondary characters who act as a presence. Simple silhouettes, elements of phoned-in narrations, only Josh Gad pulls out of the game by offering a solid interpretation of an endearing giant dwarf. He returns to a tradition of secondary character with an undeniable comic spring. As for the writing of this story, it is stitched with white thread. Everything is expected, premeditated, with a rather impressive laziness. No surprise awakens the spectator who gradually falls into a forced drowsiness in front of the repetitive adventures of Artemis Fowl. The film is on autopilot , piling up the clichés of the genre, whether in the writing of situations or in that of the characters. And visually, it's not much better. This Disney blockbuster is old before its time. This is kitsch prematurely. CGI is as hideous as Men in Black: International. And the costumes came out of an old superhero movie from the late 1990s. It's almost like a failed version of Captain Marvel. That's to say… In short, Artemis Fowl is a scam movie. A work that tells nothing, that never offers anything innovative, and that is content to lazily chain situations without artistic vision. A commissioned film par excellence, which destroys a potential that is almost never touched upon. A prologue that only serves to introduce a sequel, without any risk-taking. Basically, go your way and fast! Artemis Fowl is available on the Disney+ platform since Friday, June 12, 2020. Here's the trailer: https://youtu.be/rhXXRgcb2zk