Arthur and the Invisibles

The movie--while it doesn't knock you out--doesn't self-destruct either. Besson may never rise to the level of his best American models here, but it's fun watching him try.

None of the characters are compelling, despite the star-studded vocal cast behind them, including Madonna, Robert De Niro, Snoop Dogg and Jimmy Fallon. Our attitude toward them is casual interest, not anxious concern.

Arthur and the Invisibles tries way too hard.

There are cute flourishes, but much of the cleverness is smothered by tired dialogue and doughy animation, which gives the animated characters the personality of mannequins and the look of cheap merchandising knockoffs come to life.

Watching Arthur and the Invisibles is like sticking your head in a Gallic pinball machine: It's hectic, technically impressive, and your skull starts to pound after a while.

Besson is a pro when it comes to action movies, but this part live, part animation effort is a mess, highlighted by creepy animation, derivative plot points and a child star who speaks way too fast.

This kids' cartoon from France is such a surreally demented attempt to connect with children that it's the equivalent of foie gras breakfast cereal or a bleu cheese milkshake.

I liked this movie better than Happily N'ever After because there were little creatures named THE Minimoys, I call them the Invisibles, and how the boy went into the telescope. At the end of the telescope was a little glass, and after he hit the glass, the gooey stuff melted the glass and he went to the backyard and that was really really really cool!!!!!!! It was very exciting and fun. I also liked the way they escaped from the water coming by getting through a door using the wind-up car that they found, enabling them to go faster and saving them. This really good part was when the boy found his grandpa's hidden treasure in the backyard. I really liked the graphics. In your Invisibles, Critics! :) 9/10

enjoyable, but not memorable

A decent story and some good visuals but not a movie I want to watch again.

What a strange film. They talk so quickly that it is often hard to tell what they are saying. This becomes annoying at times and sometimes you give up. You get the core story without needing to know what they are saying all the time. The CGI animation sections are quite ugly. The real world looks nice though. There are some jokes that only adults would get and some may deem as inappropriate. There isn't a lot of comedy or action and there is one really long scene of exposition but otherwise ambles along talking fast. If it wasn't for the ride at Europa Park then I would have never heard of this film and maybe that is for the best. Shame that such an excellent ride didn't have a better film to accompany it. Certainly not the worst film and it has enough to get you to the end but not enough to make you want to see it again or watch any of the sequels.

You can't do worse than Arthur and the Invisibles.