Arthur and the Invisibles

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Arthur and the Invisibles Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Uneven animation-live action combo may bore kids.

PG 2007 94 minutes
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 11 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 12 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Arthur and the Invisibles is a 2003 live-action animated film in which a boy must find his grandfather and also save his home from a greedy developer. It's based on a 2002 children's book Arthur and the Minimoys. There's some cartoonish action violence. After Arthur has been made tiny enough to find the ant-sized Minimoys, there are sword fights, battles with bad guys flying mosquitoes, and a car chase in which Arthur races a model car through tunnels to avoid an impending flood. The grandmother is drugged with sleeping drops so she doesn't catch Arthur sneaking out of the house. Some flirtation between Arthur and the princess.

Community Reviews

AnnieO21
AnnieO21 Adult
August 1, 2018
age 6+

Surprisingly entertaining and adventurous

Like most movies, a tad of gender biases, sibling rivalry and slight love interest side story, however, loved the imaginative and pure quality of Arthur. His relationship with his grandparents was sentimental and they it did not have a tragic end to any of Arthur’s family. He exemplifies courage and remains an honorable character no matter who is around him. My 6 year olds were immersed in it and heard the part of the heart being one’s guide in life. Highly recommended!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Jose K.
Jose K. Adult
January 13, 2017
age 5+
Look at the parents and kids reviews. The reviewer obviously is an amateur if they give it a 2/5 and everyone else gives it a 4/5. What a pompous uneducated jerk!
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ten-year-old Arthur (Freddie Highmore) lives on a farm with his grandmother (Mia Farrow). Granny likes to tell stories about Arthur's grandfather, Archibald (Ron Crawford), who's lost in Africa, and she also worries that she'll lose their home to land developers. Arthur decides to help by following grandfather's clues, which supposedly lead to buried treasure. On his quest, Masai warriors shrink him to the size of the elves -- called Minimoys -- who live beneath Granny's lawn. He meets the Minimoys' princess, Selenia (voiced by Madonna). The malevolent Maltazard (David Bowie) wants to enslave the Minimoys, so Selenia's father (Robert De Niro) sends her, Arthur, and Selenia's brother, Bétamèche (Jimmy Fallon), to find the treasure, in hopes that it will pay off the villains.

Is It Any Good?

Frenzied and disconnected, ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES follows a human boy whose adventures lead him into a community of teeny-weeny, elflike creatures. The plot -- based on a series of children's books by director Luc Besson -- proceeds in a tizzy, cutting between above-ground scenes and below-ground scenes, though never quite establishing thematic or emotional links between the two realms.

Meanwhile, Bétamèche chatters on about nonsense and Highmore -- so charismatic as a live-action actor -- is here turned into a strangely punky figure with spiky white hair. Also distracting: the lackluster animation and the fact that the Masai seemingly come out of nowhere, simultaneously emblems of "mysterious Africa" and their own lack of context.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Arthur's underground adventure. Have you ever imagined changing your size or changing your body? How? What's appealing about the Minimoys?

  • This movie was based on a children's book. What would be the challenges in turning a book into a movie?

  • How did the violence in the action sequences compare to the violence in other animated features? Was the violence necessary to the story, or could the movie have done without it?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Themes & Topics

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