Artemis Fowl is a world filled with fantastic characters and a super-charged blend of James Bond, fantasy, sci-fi, a little steampunk! It is based on a fantasy series by Eion (pronounced similar to "Owen") Colfer with eight books starting with the first novel in 2001. I met Mr. Colfer at Comic Con, but did not read the books. It was set for release on August 9th last year and then moved to May 29th of this year. The film is now released on Disney+ and currently streaming. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh who previously directed Cinderella (2015). The screenwriting team include Conor McPherson who wrote and directed the supernatural film The Eclipse (2009) and Hamish McColl who co-wrote the story for Paddington (2014).
It opens with a beach in Ireland that leads to the Fowl Manor, this is so fanciful with a lighthouse, and a mishmash of architectural designs. This shifts to news reports about another theft from Artemis Fowl, this is the father of the main character, and we get his possible accomplice taken away by the police. This is Mulch Diggums played by Josh Gad who was also in Branagh’s adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express (2017). He is interrogated by the police and has a gravely voice, critics noted that it is an imitation of Christian Bale’s Batman, but I think it is sounds like someone who has screamed for hours. Mulch does resemble Hagrid from the Harry Potter films.
On the interrogation video, Mulch begins to explain about Fowl’s son, young Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) is in a surf suit heading out to the beach with his board. His Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old boy who struggles to understand a complex world and then becomes confident, in control, against impossible odds. Mulch continues his narration shifting to Artemis’ school. Artemis is a true genius prodigy, far more advanced than any school, and he is later interviewed by Dr. Po (Gerard Horan). The actor was also in Murder on the Orient Express. He brings up Artemis’ mother and father, Artemis counters by his analysis of Dr. Po’s chair. Artemis walks out. He rides a Onewheel board back home and passes some standing stones, ancient stones in a circle.
Then, we see his father, Artemis Fowl, Sr. played by Colin Farell. He has acted in films like The Gentlemen (2019), also Disney movies such as Saving Mr. Banks (2013), and has experience with fantasy films like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). Fowl, Sr., is an antiques dealer, and he shared his knowledge of fairy tales to his son. They discuss the fairy tales together, he tries to tell Artie about a meeting between a fairy and a human outside of the manor, but Artemis is worried over his father’s next trip. This seems to hint at a character (seen later in the film?), that begins the connection with the Fowl family. Artemis, Sr. mentions the ending of a story.
He hugs his son and says he wants to keep him safe. Artemis, Sr. boards the helicopter at the manor and leaves his parting words to his son. We see the manor at night with the sweeping of the lighthouse light which seems magical. The next morning, toy robots start whirring, but Artemis is wakened by some noise downstairs. Below, is Domovoi, “Dom”, Butler (Nonso Anozie) who is talking on the phone. Anozie played the captain in Branagh’s Cinderella (2015). He seems to be part of the Branagh company and really has fun with his part as the adult mercenary, but defers to Artemis' intelligence. Dom has blond hair and strange, blue eyes. Mulch explains his background including “six years of strength training at Gold’s Gym, Venice, California”, very funny.
Artemis is getting a glass of milk when he hears that his father is missing in the South China Seas on the news report. It is also details that he is connected to thefts of the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum and the Book of Kells. Artemis drops the glass and is taken away by Dom. In the books, Artemis was a criminal mastermind, but the film has him as a boy genius caught up in the mystery of his father. He races to answer the phone, it is a mysterious voice, kinda reminds me of Parseltongue, a hooded figure who knows it is the son and says that his father is now a prisoner. Part of the adventure is for Artemis to understand the truth more than traveling across the world to find his father.
The figure holds a glowing green device and Artemis, Sr. shouts that all of it is true. The captor says that Artemis’ father stole something, the Aculos. He has three days to find the Aculos. Dom takes Artemis to a hallway and activates a secret door with a twist of a cane. This leads to a room that Dom says was meant to be a secret, it contains vials, teeth, and artifacts that look like they were from Prince Nuada’s room from Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). Butler mentions a journal and Artemis starts to examine things to find it. Artemis recalls his father’s parting words that may provide clues. Mulch reveals that fairies have lived hidden away for a thousand years. I recall the Irish fairies are hidden away in the hills.
We get an underground world with lava and then a strange city of flying craft and fungi-like buildings, nice designs. It is fascinating that there is a fairy world that seems upgraded to The Matrix levels. Mulch explains that it is Haven City, home of the fairies, and we see an almost steampunk-like passenger train. Exiting it is Officer Shore (Lara McDonnell), she has an iridescent, green uniform that is almost like a sci-fi guard, with a bicyclist-like helmet, and pointed ears. The costume designs are by Sammy Sheldon who also worked on Ex Machina (2014). McDonnell was in the romance, The Delinquent Season (2018). She is the hard working LEP officer with a family connection to Artemis. The fairy news reports the loss of the Aculos, kinda clever since we’ve seen the Earth news, this leads to Mulch’s entry into the story.
He tries to convince other Dwarfs that he is a Dwarf even though he towers over them. There is a giant Dwarf, Hendel, in the novel Sword of Shannara (1977). Mulch is sentenced for his crime, Tunneling and Entering (funny!) to 400 years in prison. He meets up with Holly Short and steals a music box from her. The mysterious captor meets with a prisoner and wants him to enter Fairy Command. Officer Short falls in with the other officers of the LEP (Lower Elements Police) recon, a nice pun there. They see the arrival of Commander Julius Root (Judi Dench). This is another collaboration with Branagh after Murder on the Orient Express. She is the M of the fairy division and of course was M in Skyfall (2012). I’m getting a Gollum-like vibe to Root’s voice. She announces that the loss of the Aculos threatens the peace of fairy kind.
Holly rushes over to speak to her commander that her father is missing and was last seen at the Hill of Tara. The commander forbids Holly from going there. Above a seaside cliff, amoung ruins, Dom spares with a shorter opponent in kendo gear. His opponent “who understands the complicated mind of a 12 year old”, funny, takes off her helmet and revealed to be Juliet Butler (Juliet Smart), niece to Dom. Smart is in the ITV fantasy series The Worst Witch. She brings a sandwhich to Artemis who has been working for twelve hours on his computer to work out the location of the Aculos. He hopes to find a fairy ally at the Hill of Tara. I’ve been to the Hill of Tara, outside of Dublin, it is a very ancient Irish site.
This leads to Foaly (Nikesh Patel), centaur and “fairy tech genius”, Mulch notes “do not ask him for a ride”, I love the short bits of humor. Basically, he is the Q, the tech guy, of the fairy set. Patel was in the action film, London Has Fallen (2016). At the command center, he is greeted by Holly and Commander Root. Foaly tells them that there is a missing fairy and that all other officers are out trying to find the Aculos. Commander Root sends Holly. Foaly accompanies Holly to a capsule that uses lava to accelerate. Briar Cudgeon (Joshua McGuire) is a LEP lieutenant suspicious of Holly because she is the daughter of Beachwood Short. McGuire was in the comedy Old Boys (2018). Cudgeon is sure Beachwood was the thief of the Aculos.
The capsule is launched from a volcano, the capsule and volcano reminds me of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Foley sends Holly outside of the capsule and this is when she starts to fly with her fairy wings. Dom reports in to Artemis on the Hill of Tara noting that he is freezing. We see that he is in jungle camoflague. Holly flies towards Martina Franca, in the southern tip of Italy, where there is a wedding celebration. A young girl takes away an ice cream cone, but faces a massive troll. Holly comes in to save the girl. The troll starts to rampage through the celebration, but LEP has some MIB tech. Artemis and Holly have to uncover the villain behind the plot to threaten the human and fairy worlds! I would really like to see the next Artemis Fowl movie and more than that read the book! Artemis Fowl is a fantasy movie with an incredible fairy world, part sci fi, with the international globe trotting of James Bond, and all fun.
Four Aculos out of Five!
#ArtemisFowl, #KennethBranagh, #FerdiaShaw, #LaraMcDonnell, #JudiDench
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