Artemis Fowl (2020)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Stars: Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad

Runtime: 95 minutes

Synopsis: Artemis Fowl, a young criminal prodigy, hunts down a secret society of fairies to find his missing father.

Performances: 4/10
Screenplay: 2/10
Editing: 3/10
Cinematography: 4/10
Score/Soundtrack: 4/10
Entertainment Factor: 2/10

Verdict: I think it's fair to say that for the past couple of years, I've been a somewhat harsh critic of Disney's approach to the art of filmmaking. Between lazy remakes and safe narratives, I accused the studio of lacking originality on multiple occasions. And for that, I apologize, because "Artemis Fowl" proved that Disney's still a force to be reckoned with.

I'm aware that "Artemis Fowl" isn't exactly an original concept as it is based on a popular series of books, but Kenneth Branagh surely knew how to make the story his own. It's difficult to even look at the film as a work of fiction because I was truly transported to the world in which fairies and other mythical creatures lead an underground secret society. Newcomer Ferdia Shaw was full of charisma as the lead, but it's Josh Gad that steals the show by providing well-needed narration that sounded like music to my ears. Dame Judy Dench, following her tremendous outing in "Cats", also appears in the movie as a character, and should be showering her agent with compliments because it is clear by now that that person understands quality projects. But what truly made the experience special was, of course, the narrative, which utilizes clever editing and writing to highlight the main themes of friendship, family, and time-wasting.

I cannot recommend this Disney instant classic enough, as it easily is the best film of the entire decade so far. So get off your phone, get a Disney Plus subscription, and make sure to share the joy of watching the movie with your family... as a prank, because sike, "Artemis Fowl" is an incomprehensible mess I regretted putting on within the first couple of minutes. Avoid at all costs.

FINAL GRADE: 2/10