We all know how creative French filmmaker Luc Besson can be. His offbeat sensibilities can be seen in his tense crime dramas La Femme Nikita and The Professional, as well as his wildly imaginative sci-fi cult favorite The Fifth Element. But he's been taking a break from making his own films, producing and apparently writing children's books instead. Arthur and the Invisibles is his first directorial effort since the 1999 movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, and while it definitely taps into Besson's fanciful notions--which is probably even more evident in the novels--it doesn't necessarily translate as well to the big screen. Invisibles' animation is lush and there's a lot to look at, but it's almost too busy, while the tepid yet convoluted story drones on. Invisibles is definitely not adult-friendly.
Review of Arthur and the Invisibles
