Arthur and the Invisibles

Using a rapid video-game pace, Luc Besson directs this adaptation of his two children’s books, Arthur and the Minimoys and Arthur and the Forbidden City. When a real-estate developer threatens to confiscate his grandmother’s farm, an adventurous, bright-eyed boy (Freddie Highmore) journeys underground to a CGI-filled fairy-tale world of elves and thumbnail-size creatures. In this subterranean land of Minimoys, the determined grandson encounters an array of characters and obstacles while searching for a hidden treasure of rubies à la The Goonies. Although a variety of celebrities from Madonna to Snoop Dogg offer their voices, and the premise sounds entertaining on paper, the translation to the big screen falls flat. The visuals are ugly, and the action-packed intensity is mind-numbing, even for today’s ADD generation.