Linda Thomas: at the movies

This fantasy, fairy tale movie is half real life and half animated. The wonderful Freddie Highmore is Arthur and Mia Farrow plays his grandmother. Arthur’s grandfather is off exploring other lands and his parents are working in the city. The bank is about to foreclose on the farm if Arthur can’t do something about it. He puts extra drops of his grandmother’s sleeping medicine in her water so he can try to find a bag of rubies, supposedly on the property. He ends up in the land of the Minimoys. They are small, elf like creatures. He tries to help the Minimoys against an evil ruler and after he succeeds, he finds the bag of rubies. The Minimoys look like troll dolls with a lot of product in their hair. There is a lot of cartoon action, with mosquitoes being ridden as planes. Arthur does a bad thing when he gives his grandmother too much medication. He might have harmed her. Also, Arthur’s parents missing his birthday will sadden some children. Arthur and the Minimoy princess kiss at the end of the movie. The voice talents of Robert NeNiro, Madonna and David Bowie are just all right. This movie should be entertaining for children 8 and older. Why is Arthur not living with his parents? How is his relationship with his grandmother?