The Films of Luc Besson

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It's clear virtually from the outset that Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard is going to fare about as well as its underwhelming predecessor, as the movie, which admittedly does possess its share of compelling elements, is ultimately undone by its similarly uneven atmosphere and emphasis on juvenile shenanigans. The storyline follows Freddie Highmore's Arthur as he once again journeys into the land of the Minimoys after receiving what he thinks is a distress call, although, as he soon discovers, the message was not sent by his friends down under but rather the feared Maltazard (Lou Reed) - as the evil emperor has hatched a plan to bring his unique brand of villainy to our world. As was the case with Arthur and the Invisibles, Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard fares best in its live action sequences - as filmmaker Luc Besson has infused such moments with an over-the-top panache that compensates for the movie's excessively kid-oriented sensibilities. The watchable vibe persists right up until Arthur is miniaturized and sent to the Minimoys' domain, after which point it does become harder and harder to work up any real interest or enthusiasm in the character's exploits - with the almost unreasonably low-rent computer animation exacerbating the movie's progressively less-than-involving feel. And although some of the character designs and voice performances are admittedly rather striking, Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard peters out significantly as it limps towards its unabashedly open conclusion - as Besson spends far too much time on events of a decidedly insignificant nature (ie Selenia, Arthur's love interest, prepares for the return of her beloved). It is, in the final analysis, impossible not to wonder what continues to draw Besson to this flawed premise, and the series seems highly unlikely to improve in its third (and hopefully final) installment.

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A mild improvement over its two predecessors, Arthur 3: The War of Two Worlds follows the title character as he prepares for Maltazard's (Lou Reed) impending invasion in the real world - with the film detailing both the buildup to the battle and, eventually, the battle itself. There's no denying that Arthur 3: The War of Two Worlds, for the most part, comes off as a far more watchable endeavor than both Arthur and the Invisibles and Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard, with filmmaker Luc Besson's decision to limit the action to the above-ground exploits of the various characters playing an instrumental role in the movie's extremely mild success (ie it's hard to downplay the ineffectiveness of the stretches set within the Minimoys' poorly-animated and visually-overwhelming domain within the first two movies). Besson, along with cowriter Céline Garcia, does a nice job of peppering the proceedings with a handful of unapologetically over-the-top vignettes, with the sequence in which a now lifesized Maltazard attempts to pass himself off as a human being standing as one of the more overtly entertaining interludes in the film. The almost impressively over-the-top final half hour - devoted to Maltazard's invasion of Arthur's small town - certainly fits the bill in terms of spectacle, yet, like most other aspects of the movie, there's just nothing terribly (or wholeheartedly) involving about all of this. It is, as such, not surprising to note that Arthur 3: The War of Two Worlds is ultimately unlikely to change the viewer's perception of this middling series, which is a shame, really, as the film does possess a fairly decent number of stirring sequences (ie Arthur engages in a sword fight with a villain aboard a toy train).

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