Artemis Fowl Movie Review: Critics Call Kenneth Branagh's Directorial A Total Debacle

If you are the one looking out for a new flick to binge-watch this lockdown, then stay away from Disney's Artemis Fowl. Well, that's not what we are saying, but it's critics who have tagged the movie as a dud one. The reviews of Kenneth Branagh's film is out and going by the feels of it 'it's a no-no'. FYI, this movie is adapted from Eoin Colfer's famed book. Well, if you are still not convinced then head to Rotten Tomatoes where the film has scored just 13 percent. Artemis Fowl stars an ensemble cast of actors which includes Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Nonzo Anozie, Colin Farrell, and Judi Dench. Here check out some of the reviews below. Artemis Fowl Is All Set to Premiere on Disney Plus on This Date. 

With just two stars and all the praise for Judi Dench, The Guardian writes, "Ater the film version of Cats, the world agreed that Judi Dench could never, should never do anything as bizarre as her performance as Old Deuteronomy, the bafflingly attired matriarch of the Jellicle cat tribe, wearing a fur coat in addition to her normal fur. But now Dench might actually have topped her feline folly, in this family fantasy adventure."

New York Times also has less of wow words and terms it as 'simply antic'. It writes, "Although Branagh serves up an occasional inspired image (a troll hanging from a boxy-lamped chandelier), the effects mostly have a sense of weightlessness, and the swirl of color offers little to catch the eye. Despite his aptitude for verse, Branagh can’t do much to direct a line like “Some said I was mad. They wouldn’t listen to me. Guess what? They’re listening now” — other than maybe to cut it, which he hasn’t. Once a portrayer of Hamlet’s antic disposition, Branagh has made a movie that is simply antic."

The debacle does not stop there as Slashfilm rates it 1 out of 10. The portal writes, "I tried desperately to keep my expectations for an Artemis Fowl movie low. Just because a movie isn’t a shot-for-shot adaptation of its source material doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad, I kept telling myself, as my hopes sank lower and lower through the film. But Artemis Fowl is not just a disappointing adaptation, it’s a badly made movie." COVID-19 Effect: Artemis Fowl Skips Theatrical Release and Is All Set For a Disney Plus Debut. 

Check Out The Trailer Of Artemis Fowl  Below: 

Hindustani Times also has tagged it as a 'deservingly dumped online'. "Disney and Branagh have taken the decision (perhaps jointly, perhaps not) to retool the movie into a more generic experience. This way, they might have thought, the film could appeal to kids who might never have heard of Artemis at all."

Even Gadgets NDTV isn't impressed with Disney's latest creation. It writes, "Sadly, the visuals aren't the only generic and rehashed thing in Artemis Fowl. Its unseen villain's plan is as old as time: become all-powerful, wipe out all humans, and take over the world. And by making Artemis plainer than he is in the books, the Disney+ film is robbed of what set apart Colfer's work in the first place." Artemis Fowl Trailer: Disney Brings the Exciting Story Of A 12-Year-Old Criminal Mastermind from Eoin Colfer's Famed Book to Life (Watch Video). 

Artemis Fowl was initially going to be out in theatres last month, but due to the pandemic, it could not. And so finally it took the OTT route and go released on Disney+. Also for the one's (still) interested, the movie revolves around a 12-year-old genius who gets into a fight against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father's disappearance. Stay tuned!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2020 01:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).