Arthur and the Great Adventure (2010)
Certified: U
Duration: 101 minutes
Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Robert Stanton
Voices of: Selena Gomez, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Stacy Ferguson, Jimmy Fallon
KRS release
Luc Besson once again returns to the universe of Arthur et les Minimoys. The Arthur series of four books for children were written by the French director who had given us violent classics such as Leon (1994) and La Femme Nikita (1990). He ended up writing, directing and producing the on screen adaptations of these books, turning them into some of France’s most expensive movies ever.
The 2006 film Arthur and the Invisibles was a mix of live action and animation that while not perfect was eccentric, imaginative and very entertaining. The film had adapted the first two books into one film.
The third and fourth books were incorporated in Arthur and The Great Adventure, which picks up where the previous film left. The mix of live action and computer-generated animation is once again present. The first film had brought us David Bowie in an unusual role; here Mr Besson once again goes into the rock and roll arena to bring along two eccentric icons in the form of Lou Reed and Iggy Pop.
Arthur and The Great Adventure is a fantasy film that is rich in its setting. Set in 1963, the film once more stars Freddie Highmore who uncannily enough seems not to have grown a day since the last screen outing four years ago. Set in 1963 Arthur is happy to be once again returning to the land of the Minimoys. So he is understandably not happy when his father (Robert Stanton) declares that they will soon be leaving their grandmother’s house and go live somewhere else.
Arthur soon rushes back to Minimoys land when on a grain of rice he receives a call for help. The rice is delivered by a spider but this is all a trick. His arrival means there is an opening to the human world and gives the villain Maltazard (Lou Reed) the chance to enter the human dimension. Arthur needs to come back to human form to defeat Maltazard. To do this he needs the help of Princess Selenia (Selena Gomez) and Prince Betameche (excellent voicing by Jimmy Fallon). Involved in all this is Darkos (Iggy Pop), Maltazard’s son.
Arthur and The Great Adventure benefits from Freddie Highmore who is quite engaging as our young hero. Lou Reed and Iggy Pop are zany enough in their voicing.
The animation sequences are colourful and fluid. The action sequences are a headlong rush and when the giant insects start attacking humans the children will be in for quite a rollercoaster ride.
What Mr Besson brings to the screen with this feature is a wild streak of imagination that is very much welcome.