Director Kenneth Branagh brings Eoin Colfer's popular sci-fi/fantasy novel to life
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Criminal boy genius takes on world of fairies in new Artemis Fowl trailer
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The ergonomics on that bow look terrible. Butler's barely able to grip it with his fingertips, which means the draw weight has to be low for him to be able to hold it without flying out of that grip.
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Hmm, I'm wondering if this adaptation will follow in John Carter's footsteps. As I recall, Andy Stanton also had a great reputation at the time, but somehow the studio couldn't get it straight...
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So who is the target audience here? Kids who grew up with the books or kids today? Unlike the Harry Potter film adaptations, the two are not really the same.
When the first Artemis Fowl book came out in 2001, I was the age of the titular character. I would have begged my parents to see it! I'll be 18 years older when this movie is released, and I don't know I have the same interest in it as my pre-teen self did.
When the first Artemis Fowl book came out in 2001, I was the age of the titular character. I would have begged my parents to see it! I'll be 18 years older when this movie is released, and I don't know I have the same interest in it as my pre-teen self did.
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At work so can't see the trailer yet but I am surprised it took this long for a movie adaptation to come out. The first book makes for such a perfect children's heist film.
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Loved the book series, while I may have always secretly hoped that some film adaptation of it would come out, now that it might actually happen, not sure how to respond...
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I liked John Carter, but the ad campaign for the film was terrible (as was the decision to not mention Mars in the title).
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Wait, did this article just spoil the movie? I mean, I get that there’s a book series which of course gives it away, but still 
Also surprised that Kenneth Branagh has turned from doing Shakespeare to sci-fi. Knowing this, I feel that with Thor as the benchmark (as one of the more run of the mill marvel movies), it doesn’t give much confidence in this one.
Finally, isn’t this Artemis character a bit of dick? Kidnapping a magical creature to get money for your own adventures?
Also surprised that Kenneth Branagh has turned from doing Shakespeare to sci-fi. Knowing this, I feel that with Thor as the benchmark (as one of the more run of the mill marvel movies), it doesn’t give much confidence in this one.
Finally, isn’t this Artemis character a bit of dick? Kidnapping a magical creature to get money for your own adventures?
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Is that what we've come to? Sir Kenneth Branagh already had 5 Academy Award nominations before Thor went into production. That's like saying Robert De Niro (Dirty Grandpa) or Al Pacino (Jack and Jill).
Edit: And why did Judi Dench get her Dame title in the captions but Branaugh didn't get his Sir in the text?
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Oh have no fear. He was also in the dreadful sci-fi western Wild Wild West with Will Smith. Needless to say, that's not one of the roles that earned him a knighthood.Wait, did this article just spoil the movie? I mean, I get that there’s a book series which of course gives it away, but still
Also surprised that Kenneth Branagh has turned from doing Shakespeare to sci-fi. Knowing this, I feel that with Thor as the benchmark (as one of the more run of the mill marvel movies), it doesn’t give much confidence in this one.
Finally, isn’t this Artemis character a bit of dick? Kidnapping a magical creature to get money for your own adventures?
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Finally! I remember reading that this was going to become a movie back when I first read these novels almost 15 years ago, I'm really happy that this will finally see the light, but I'll keep my expectations down knowing what has been done to many childhood classics.
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I'm sorry guys.Oh have no fear. He was also in the dreadful sci-fi western Wild Wild West with Will Smith. Needless to say, that's not one of the roles that earned him a knighthood.Wait, did this article just spoil the movie? I mean, I get that there’s a book series which of course gives it away, but still
Also surprised that Kenneth Branagh has turned from doing Shakespeare to sci-fi. Knowing this, I feel that with Thor as the benchmark (as one of the more run of the mill marvel movies), it doesn’t give much confidence in this one.
Finally, isn’t this Artemis character a bit of dick? Kidnapping a magical creature to get money for your own adventures?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zXKtfKnfT8
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Yeah. I read one of the books just a few days ago (second or third, not sure) that I found lying around near a stack of my stepkids' old Harry Potters. It was a hot mess. Fairies that use magic *and* advanced technology. A dwarf that can tunnel hundreds of miles in a couple of hours ... by chewing the dirt and pooping it out. A master criminal in a two-year coma, who happens to have plotted an escape involving a clone. Tech that conveniently works to fill one plot hole, but nobody thinks to apply it to similar situations. A civilization with all this tech and magic who can't build a dwarf-proof prison. Just utter dreck from beginning to end. I haven't even mentioned the *truly* ridiculous stuff - I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises! There's also a fair amount of shooting and chases, so at least it isn't boring, but I swear I could write a better novel in about a week.
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Oh have no fear. He was also in the dreadful sci-fi western Wild Wild West with Will Smith. Needless to say, that's not one of the roles that earned him a knighthood.Wait, did this article just spoil the movie? I mean, I get that there’s a book series which of course gives it away, but still
Also surprised that Kenneth Branagh has turned from doing Shakespeare to sci-fi. Knowing this, I feel that with Thor as the benchmark (as one of the more run of the mill marvel movies), it doesn’t give much confidence in this one.
Finally, isn’t this Artemis character a bit of dick? Kidnapping a magical creature to get money for your own adventures?
For real.
Then again, if one has already showed the world the splendidness of one’s intellectual capabilities, then why not have at it with the silly stuff? Especially as I would imagine it pays really well.
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That's the not relationship. He directed Thor, and he's the director on this. He wasn't an actor in Thor.
Of course you could argue he was a director long before Thor and was nominated for that work but I'm guessing most people are far more familiar with Thor than his Henry V.
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You can't have read the books then. John Carter was such a poor adaptation, it was as if it was written by committee with no oversight, and each writer wanting their own part to have the most attention. The film fought with itself on every front. I bet it made ERB roll over in his grave.
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Fair enough. But he got an Oscar nomination for his Henry V. Hell, anyone that can make a viable movie out of a Shakespeare history at this point deserves an Oscar.
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Is the caption for the 7th image supposed to be recuse and not rescue?
The ergonomics of the 'guns' look worse
The ergonomics of the 'guns' look worse
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Yeah. I read one of the books just a few days ago (second or third, not sure) that I found lying around near a stack of my stepkids' old Harry Potters. It was a hot mess. Fairies that use magic *and* advanced technology. A dwarf that can tunnel hundreds of miles in a couple of hours ... by chewing the dirt and pooping it out. A master criminal in a two-year coma, who happens to have plotted an escape involving a clone. Tech that conveniently works to fill one plot hole, but nobody thinks to apply it to similar situations. A civilization with all this tech and magic who can't build a dwarf-proof prison. Just utter dreck from beginning to end. I haven't even mentioned the *truly* ridiculous stuff - I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises! There's also a fair amount of shooting and chases, so at least it isn't boring, but I swear I could write a better novel in about a week.
It's children's literature, not even young adult. I remember reading Artemis Fowl in elementary school. So congrats, you're smarter than a 5th grader.
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Yeah. I read one of the books just a few days ago (second or third, not sure) that I found lying around near a stack of my stepkids' old Harry Potters. It was a hot mess. Fairies that use magic *and* advanced technology. A dwarf that can tunnel hundreds of miles in a couple of hours ... by chewing the dirt and pooping it out. A master criminal in a two-year coma, who happens to have plotted an escape involving a clone. Tech that conveniently works to fill one plot hole, but nobody thinks to apply it to similar situations. A civilization with all this tech and magic who can't build a dwarf-proof prison. Just utter dreck from beginning to end. I haven't even mentioned the *truly* ridiculous stuff - I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises! There's also a fair amount of shooting and chases, so at least it isn't boring, but I swear I could write a better novel in about a week.
Years since I last read it, but I recall the first books being a lot better IMO (although I also aged by the time later books came out of course).
High-tech magic combo felt novel at the time (and a lot more logical than HP's wizard world being frankly irresponsibly ill-informed about muggles).
Are you seriously hating on the fart-dwarf thief? This is a (admittedly slightly hardcore) childrens novel, 12 year old me loved that shit.
Aside from that, am not hopeful for this movie.
Artemis was a horrible psychopathic twat, definitely in the earliest novels. This trailer makes him look like Charlie in the fucking chocolate factory.
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Books aimed more at kids tend to get wild/imaginative. Which isn't a bad thing in the slightest...but I think it tends to hamper translating them to film, as the end product looks a bit ridiculous when not viewed through the transformative and forgiving lens of imagination.
All that to say, while the book series was interesting/exciting, I'm skeptical the movie will work. If anything I'd say it'll be on par with the Percy Jackson series (similarly aged and written book series, movies never quite clicked).
All that to say, while the book series was interesting/exciting, I'm skeptical the movie will work. If anything I'd say it'll be on par with the Percy Jackson series (similarly aged and written book series, movies never quite clicked).
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I feel like the books would have been better adapted into an animated movie, perhaps with a similar style to the comics ...
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That's one of my favorite movies of all time and I saw it at a now-closed single-screen theater that was still decorated like when it was built in the 1930s. Luckily, the sound system was improved and hearing the arrows flying overhead during the Battle of Agincourt left a huge impression on the 10yo me.
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This looks like another Wrinkle in Time waiting to happen. Hard pass, unless the reviews say it’s good. I remember other kids reading this in elementary/middle school, but never read them myself.
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The trailer was so bad it would confuse anyone who hasn't followed the books.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcV7aXL8txU
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So take a potentially good movie, release it more than 10 years too late and replace one of the absolutely critical characters with a woman (Root). Root was integral to the story and while it isn't necessarily critical that the character be male, it isn't like there isn't plenty of male thespians that would be perfect (I think Ian McKellen would have been amazing myself (personal opinion of course)).
Given those items, it is probably going to do ok but it is likely it will suffer from "Percy Jackson" syndrome. Because it seems to be in the same literature silo as Harry Potter, everyone will compare it to that and it will not "hold up".
Given those items, it is probably going to do ok but it is likely it will suffer from "Percy Jackson" syndrome. Because it seems to be in the same literature silo as Harry Potter, everyone will compare it to that and it will not "hold up".
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The tech definitely seems too dark and gritty for the setting. I see a glimmer of potential somewhere in the trailer, but it seems like it's far outweighed by stupid other decisions.
Seems like a shame. Too much Ooompa Loompa in the faeries for me, and the tech looks downright stupid.
Seems like a shame. Too much Ooompa Loompa in the faeries for me, and the tech looks downright stupid.
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The Fine Article":118zekb1 said:
Really? As talented as he is, I don't think he's a great choice for this type of movie.
It may be hair splitting, but I've always felt that Branagh was more about the art of the story than the story itself. I think this was evident in his approach to Asgard in Thor. My recollection of Artemis Fowl was that it was an adventure romp, rather than an artful story. (More like Chronicles of Riddick or James Bond, than Harry Potter or CA: Winter Soldier, if those comparisons make any sense.)
Branagh was excellent in Henry V (and all things Shakespeare), and from what I hear, Dunkirk. He did well in Murder on the Orient Express. He seems to be able to handle humanity and tragedy well. Yet I think he's a mediocre fit at best for something like this.
But then, my opinion of the Artemis Fowl books wasn't super high either (and I say this a a person who owns and has read several of them).
EDIT: Fix spleling
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I saw a link to the casting call for Artemis and ... hoo-boy.
Also, if I remember correctly from the books, the guns are called Neutrinos (Neutrino 2000, Neutrino 3000, etc). They're some kind of laser pew-pew gun.
Artemis in the first book was a child genius and borderline sociopath. His plan was to kidnap a fairy and hold it for ransom. He's consistently described as unnerving or frightening to people he interacts with. I really don't know how they missed all that.
As you might imagine the childrens' sci-fi fairy magicbooks play a little fast and loose with science.
Also, if I remember correctly from the books, the guns are called Neutrinos (Neutrino 2000, Neutrino 3000, etc). They're some kind of laser pew-pew gun.
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It's not the first, and won't be the last where "artistic" leeway steps all over the source material and alienates fans.
It's much like Eragon. Shame they never capitalized on that series and made it into a movie series on par with Lord of the Rings.
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