'Artemis Fowl' Preview: A stark contrast to Eoin Colfer's book, but fans just might give it a watch
From the trailer of 'Artemis Fowl', it is quite evident that Disney has rung in the changes from Eoin Colfer's original 2001 book. In the book, Artemis Fowl is best seen as a 12-year-old criminal mastermind. He's a sheer genius who can think like a grown-up, but still has a side of childishness to him that believes in wizards, magic and fairies. The combination was what made the series successful and the first change that the film dials in is that Artemis is oblivious to all that's happening around him.
The opening shot of Ferdia Shaw in the trailer sees him surfing and also working on a complicated-looking multi-screen computer setup. Perhaps it was Disney's thought to let Artemis discover the evil genius he is in the film as the whole persona doesn't exactly show the trait.
The trailer also sees him interact with his father (Colin Farrell) who introduces him to a whole new world of magic, which is vibrant and at the same time, sinister-looking. Soon after, we see him realize that his father was a criminal collector who stole prized artefacts to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Mulch Diggums and Holly Short to get an introduction that sees them more as Artemis' friends, or better phrased as "allies". Quite simply, his world shifts from normalcy to fending off armies, scary goblins and rescuing his father.
Commander Root is, in fact, a man, but there is a gender swap as Judi Dench essays the role in the film adaptation. Artemis' father has actually been missing for a couple of years, and technically, the boy never went to Haven as well. Diggums never worked for Artemis. Now, these are just some of the many changes.
Disney has taken a rather unique approach by making stark changes to the original plotline from the book. While the changes have garnered mixed reactions from fans so far, those waiting to watch the film and have read the book might be tempted to give it a shot. 'Artemis Fowl' does promise a visual treat in the trailer and while the original plotline may have been experimented with, it still is premature to rub it off. Plus, this was one of Disney's top-billed releases for the year, so fingers-crossed on how the world receives Artemis.
You can watch the trailer here:
The official synopsis reads: "Disney’s 'Artemis Fowl', based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies. Deducing that his father’s disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies."
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Adrian Scarborough, Miranda Raison, Nikesh Patel, Colin Farrell and Judi Dench.
'Artemis Fowl' releases June 12 on Disney+.
