Why? Because the American version, while a decent enough kids film, cut out several things from this version that were in the book, and it was definitely not to its benefit. The international version, however, contains the entire film, and conveniently in English. As for the film itself, as adaptations go, this is one of the better ones. You really get a feel for the book from this movie, even if it cut out some really big stuff. However, even without it, it's a good film to take your kids to. The characters are mostly realistic, the (main) villain has a surprisingly tragic backstory, the actors all do a very good job in their roles, and the animation is superb. Freddie Highmore was always how I imagined Arthur, and it worked really well. I was somewhat surprised by the other choices, but they all fit well. The action scenes are amazing, and even downright funny at times, especially at the dance club. The only bad thing is that it feels like it moves a but too quickly, and maybe there should be some times to stop, and be silent a little longer. But for what it's worth, it's not bad at all, and is very enjoyable. While I would wholeheartedly recommend reading the books instead, for what you get, it's solid enough. As for the sequels, they really don't match up, and I'd only recommend them if you need something to distract your kids.
Stick to the International Version
Why? Because the American version, while a decent enough kids film, cut out several things from this version that were in the book, and it was definitely not to its benefit. The international version, however, contains the entire film, and conveniently in English. As for the film itself, as adaptations go, this is one of the better ones. You really get a feel for the book from this movie, even if it cut out some really big stuff. However, even without it, it's a good film to take your kids to. The characters are mostly realistic, the (main) villain has a surprisingly tragic backstory, the actors all do a very good job in their roles, and the animation is superb. Freddie Highmore was always how I imagined Arthur, and it worked really well. I was somewhat surprised by the other choices, but they all fit well. The action scenes are amazing, and even downright funny at times, especially at the dance club. The only bad thing is that it feels like it moves a but too quickly, and maybe there should be some times to stop, and be silent a little longer. But for what it's worth, it's not bad at all, and is very enjoyable. While I would wholeheartedly recommend reading the books instead, for what you get, it's solid enough. As for the sequels, they really don't match up, and I'd only recommend them if you need something to distract your kids.