Artemis Fowl. Deconstructed.

Cast: Colin Farrell, Judy Dench, Josh Gad, Ferdia Shaw.

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Run time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Deconstruct meter: 6/10

Frankly, I had not heard of or read about Artemis Fowl before I saw the first posters 6 odd months back. Slowly, the anticipation grew because, after all, it is a Disney product and the theme seemed to be fun. Eventually, the movie made its way to Disney+ Hotstar instead of the usual theatrical release.

Given Kenneth Branagh’s history of handling such projects with finesse, I was thrilled to watch this CGI induced fantasy drama which has a rather short run time of an hour and 34 minutes. But, unfortunately, that is about the only thing there is to it. A CGI fiesta with a very shallow premise.

Disney and magic and fantasy go hand in hand and this movie is replete with several such dazzling frames where humans meet fairies and then there is a CGI slug-fest. A cast front-lined by the ever-charming Colin Farrell, Judy Dench and the talented Josh Gad has very little to do amidst the effects induced production.

Ferdia Shaw plays the titular role of Artemis Fowl; a child prodigy; a genius son of a millionaire father. The story constitutes his antics in order to rescue his father from the clutch of ‘bad’ fairies. He is extremely bland and does not emote at all; plays this one with a straight face, like walking through a tunnel. However, the supporting cast combined with the crazy Disney CGI makes it a fun watch, albeit a little boring.

The short run time works in favor of the movie as things are wrapped up when irritability starts to seep in. There is very little for Kenneth Branagh to show as the screenplay does not deliver any thrills and it is straightforward, cobbled up together to showcase the grand effects. The kids would love it as it is low on gore and high on fun and magic. Watch it if you are an avid fan of Disney style fun capers and of course, for Colin Farrell. He, as always, is a delight to watch.

The movie, towards the end, hints at a possible sequel(s). It is yet to be seen if Disney will green-light it, based on viewership.

Artemis Fowl; now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar