16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great Film, Bad DVD, Jun 11 2007
By S. Bendahan - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Arthur and the Invisibles (Widescreen) (DVD)
When I origionally saw this film in the cinema, it was great! full of action and the jokes where quite witty.
Unfortunatly this dvd version has been censored to a point where quite a few of the action sequences have been cut out and the film just dosn't flow.
The film cuts from diferent scenes, missing out sections that leave the viewer quite puzzled about how the characters got to the point they are at.
I don't understand why they would censor an animated film that is rated PG anyway.
All in All if you can get your hands on the origional version its a must!
but for the time beeing I'd stay away from it, it kind of ruins the real fun the story has.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Awesome All-Ages Fantasy Adventure, Feb 3 2007
By Stephen B. O'Blenis - Published on Amazon.com
One of the most enchanting and delightful fables to ever hit the screen, "Arthur And The Invisibles" is an odyssey of fun, adventure, magic, and comedy that's sure to delight kids of all ages and awaken the hearts of even the crankiest cinema-goers.
A blend of live-action (about a quarter of the film) and high-tech, extremely detailed and beautiful computer animation (the other three quarters), this movie may be, in tone and spirit, the closest thing made outside of Asia to classic Studio Ghibili anime (ex. "Castle In The Sky", "Spirited Away", "My Neighbor Totoro", etc.). Arthur is a little boy who lives with his grandmother on a rambling old family farm while his parents are off in the city searching for employment during hard financial times. Arthur is fascinated with the tales of his grandfather, a currently-missing old adventurer who in his younger days travelled Africa befriending and living with various tribes and cultures, and sometimes aiding the continent through, for example, helping local farmers to introduce irrigation to drought-prone lands. There are many more fantastical adventures the grandfather claims to have had, including meeting a race of African 'wee folk' called the Minimoys. When the family farm is threatened with foreclosure due to outstanding bills, Arthur decides that he needs to locate a treasure of rubies his grandfather acquired in Africa in order to come to his family's aid, and, convinced that these Minimoys now reside on the same land he, his grandmother, and their dog live on, sets out to find these small creatures and enlist their help on his search.
Magically transported into the land of the Minimoys, Arthur finds himself transformed into one of them and, just as he needs help to save his home, finds the Minimoys in need of aid of their own. For it's a time of great strife in this magical wee land, where races other than the Minimoys live and conflict is escalating. An alliance of wonderous characters assembles to tackle their collective problems.
The Minimoys, their world, and the myriad other creatures they share it with are all exceptionally well rendered, and the voice acting is very well performed. The characters are excellent; the Minimoy King, his feisty daughter, and his accident-prone but earnest younger son are among the most instantly captivating, and there's also a little mole with a much smaller role I found absolutely endearing. There's enough "Shrek"/"Toy Story" style humor to appeal greatly to fans of these movies (although in my opinion "Arthur And The Invisibles" is a significantly better movie) and fans of "Spirited Away"-style Japanese anime, "Fairy Tale: A True Story", "E.T.", and "Lilo & Stitch" should all see this as soon as posible. A brilliant movie with room for one or more sequels; few movies have ever debuted which are so ripe for expansion into a full saga. 10/10
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
In it's original form it's a much better movie., July 21 2008
By Christopher Hamer "FLGuru" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Arthur and the Invisibles (Widescreen) (DVD)
Although this movie is quite wonderful in it's original form.
The 'Weinstein' version is disjointed, removes any of the undercurrent for the movie, and makes quite a mess of things in the process.
Save your money, demand that there be a Region 1 - Unedited/Directors cut, and you'll be much happier.