An archaeology professor by trade but well known as an amateur detective and avid puzzle-solver, Herschel Layton is the focus of a series of popular Nintendo DS games developed by Level 5. It all lends itself well to an animated feature as it attempts to recreate certain components from the games, some more successful than others. The integration of puzzles is at first contrived, but feels less and less out of place as the story progresses. Character design and animation style are lifted directly from the games' cut scenes, so fans will feel right at home. The music is a highlight as not only simple yet ponderous melodies make an appearance but a beautiful score. Fans will be all too accustomed to the plot formula as the professor is whisked away on an enigmatic journey involving fabled mysteries, faces certain death with his trusty ward Luke, encounters a familiar foe and inevitably exposes a dastardly scheme in an exciting final act. It's a true crowd-pleaser.
3½ second assistants out of 5
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