The "Artemis Fowl" Movie Really Isn't That Bad

Disney's adaptation of Eoin Colfer's famous fantasy series has received a lot of criticism and backlash, mainly for straying source material and being radically different from the book. And while the movie could've been better if it had stayed true, it was actually a great, if different, book-to-film interpretation. 

I have been a fan of the Artemis Fowl series for years, ever since I read the first book. It's the tale of Artemis Fowl II, the young and incredibly intelligent heir to a criminal empire, and his scheme to uncover the truth behind the fantasies of fairies and to use their secrets for his evil plots. From the beginning, the movie was very different from the book. It stayed mostly within the stories of the first and second books, though it didn't stay to the books very much. The main difference that had first bothered me was the fact that this Artemis was to be extremely different from the Artemis in the books. In the books, he detests physical exertion, while in the first scene in the movie he's surfing. This Artemis (Ferdia Shaw) wears regular clothes at first, when the original Artemis wore nothing else but full suits. And, my biggest fear when watching the movie, Artemis was changed from an extraordinary evil mastermind to an almost normal kid and a classic hero, without any of the ambition or malice of the original.

But it is understandable, considering it's a Disney movie, and making a whole movie about a 12-year-old manipulating his family, stealing valuable artifacts, kidnapping and poisoning innocent people to further his goals just isn't the Disney way. For the other in the movie, it stayed mostly true to their character in the book, such as Butler being the always dangerous bodyguard (if a lot more emotional for comedy), and Mulch the same kleptomaniac dwarf (even if he's much taller for acting convenience), and Root the perpetually angered and frustrated fairy (albeit a woman now, which I doubt Root himself wouldn't have liked), the movie kept the most important parts to help the plot. 

Yet, even with all these drastic changes, the movie was still a good story of good versus evil in the classic Disney fashion, and I didn't expect it to be any different as a movie. I enjoyed the movie very much, because, as a movie, it is supposed to be a portrayal of a story in a different way, there's no point in making a movie of a book at all if it's gonna be the exact same thing. The movie showed me a different look at the world of Artemis Fowl, such as bringing the fairy underground civilization to life in a stunning way and making the novel look real. Plus, having read the books more than a dozen times and probably will again, not knowing exactly what is going to happen next was refreshing to see in one of my favorite books ever.

It was good enough for a long time fan of the series to enjoy (as long as you're not an extreme stickler for facts), and is worth watching. The movie was entertaining and funny, different enough to be suspenseful, and the end was satisfying and left more than enough room for a sequel, which I, for one, will be waiting to see what happens next.

Rory P.