Les aventures extraordinaires d'un apprenti détective

This was a great movie for the whole family. A bit of a sleeper because it was better than expected. Shame it did not get the adds it should have so more people could have watched it and perhaps done better at the box office. I am surprised at the bad reviews on this web site and hope more people get a chance to see it. I am eager to see a sequel. The story line was good. The settings were full of interesting things to see. The cinematography was excellent. Actors did a great job of making their characters believable. This film took me on a journey, a true adventure and was not predictable. There was a mysterious air to this film. I could see some influence from Harry Potter and Indiana Jones and others but this film was better in keeping your attention without the use of sex, drugs, foul language, excessively violence or bloody scenes. Well done.

How very very sad, to see a UK movie turn out the same as the utter drivel coming out of Hollywood in recent times. UK Cinema has always been a safe fallback, guaranteeing a decent story and decent acting. The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box...not only equals the lacklustre movies offered by Hollywood, but in some cases surpasses it for wasting movie lovers time and money. There is absolutely no viable story, and the script is brutal. Mariah Mundi (Aneurin Barnard), the supposedly main character, not only figures clues out in 2seconds, when various so called geniuses have been struggling to do so for a long time, but he also tells all and sundry the secrets which he has been sworn to keep. I believe he has a great future ahead of him if he get's a good agent who will protect him from this sort of career destroying rubbish. Sam Neill, Michael Sheen,Ioan Gruffudd and Leana Headey, are all old hands at the movie game and should have some conscience about foisting this so called movie on their fans, but I suppose money talks..shame.. Avoid this movie for health and sanity reasons.

When this film began I was exhilarated. Not knowing anything about the film prior to screening, the cast is the first thing to impress. Visually, it is handsomely mounted. I anticipated another classic adventure favorite unfolding before me.

Unfortunately the film becomes laden with details and loose threads as it moves along, and fails to gain steam or provide answers. There are side stories that are intriguing when introduced, but never pursued. Then there are "discoveries" which are made much too easily, one wonders why nobody made them before.

Aneurin Barnard who plays Mariah, the older brother in the family, appeared to be the next heartthrob-in-the-making; handsome, talented, appealing. But it isn't to be as I doubt many people will rush to this film. Michael Sheen is splendid as he hams his way through this film, but he is unmatched by any other players, mostly due to the troubled screenplay with which they contend. Sam Neill is wasted in a role of broad villainous strokes that are tired and worn out.

Other characters appear and then aren't heard from again, supposedly until the sequel. By the time this film ends, there isn't a coherent TEAM of triumphant adventurers over a defeated foe, just kids who made it through a harrowing experience with the help of some grown-ups who are never strongly defined.

The film shifts abruptly from classic adventure to science fiction, which is such a bumpy transition, I was thrown off.

I had this movie in mind to watch with my son for a while. My 9 year old son was hesitant to watch it but I had a hitch that he would enjoy it, and wow was I right. This is a great family movie to watch with the kiddos. It provides fantasy and action, in an Indiana Jones type of way. We enjoyed this movie and when it ended my son asked when was the second one coming out. I checked and after seeing this one did poorly in the box office I mentioned to him it was unlikely they would make all the trilogy as at first they intended. We are still having our fingers crossed, as for now we will be reading the books. I highly recommend this movie to watch as a family.

I am surprised at the other reviewers; I think the one point that most reviewers are missing is that it's a children's movie based on a children's book. My ten year old son loved it. It's hard to find clean action-adventure movies that appeal to boys and this one worked well. Sword fights, near death moments, supernatural content, chase scenes all without excessive gore, cleavage, or foul language.

Several comments have been made about the poor acting. I didn't see that. Come on folks, Sam Niell is the main bad guy.

This movie is available on Netflix. There is a sequel in the making and we'll watch that when it comes out.