Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old genius and descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father's disappearance.
Artemis Fowl is a critically panned adaptation of a beloved children's book series that fails on most fronts. The plot is compressed and incoherent, stripping away the moral complexity and clever scheming that made the source material distinctive. The acting is largely flat — even capable performers like Judi Dench and Colin Farrell feel wasted in underdeveloped roles. Cinematography is serviceable with some decent fantasy visuals and production design, but nothing exceptional. Novelty is low because the film feels derivative of other YA fantasy adaptations and actually squanders the more original elements of its source material. The ending is rushed and unsatisfying, setting up a sequel that will likely never come while failing to deliver a complete story on its own terms.