A Mouse's Tale
That The Tale of Despereaux is beautifully designed and animated does help to make up for its few flaws, among them a script and a story that could have been a bit tighter. Despereaux hails from Universal Animation Studios (the folks who brought you Curious George and The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends), no giants in the animation arena and not known for the caliber of films coming out of PIXAR or Dreamworks Animation. Despereaux seems to be Universal's desperate attempt to play in that arena. That said, it is an honest effort despite the mixed results.
In addition to the elegant production design the movie boasts an A-list cast that is at times stellar but for the most part merely adequate. Matthew Broderick hits the mark with his portrayal of the titular mouse, an oddity among his peers because of his uncommon boldness and desire for adventure. After being banished from Mouse World for essentially not fitting in, Despereaux discovers that he is destined for great things after he meets a forlorn princess (voiced by Emma Watson) languishing in a tower, prisoner of her father’s grief at the death of his wife, whose tragic demise, face-down in a bowl of soup, is portrayed unnecessarily onscreen. Despereaux accepts his destiny and makes a valiant effort to free the princess and return rats and soup and sunlight to the kingdom. (Yes, it sounds convoluted and it is, so I won’t bother going into it here).
Tracey Ullman, Christopher Lloyd and Stanley Tucci do a fine job as a maidservant, thread maker and soup genie (don’t ask) respectively, while Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Robbie Coltrane, Frank Langella and Sigourney Weaver round out the cast.
Despite its flaws, Despereaux is watchable and enjoyable, and thematically compelling for adults. But it’s much better suited for kids, many of whom are sure to love its charm, sense of wonder and tenderness.
In addition to the elegant production design the movie boasts an A-list cast that is at times stellar but for the most part merely adequate. Matthew Broderick hits the mark with his portrayal of the titular mouse, an oddity among his peers because of his uncommon boldness and desire for adventure. After being banished from Mouse World for essentially not fitting in, Despereaux discovers that he is destined for great things after he meets a forlorn princess (voiced by Emma Watson) languishing in a tower, prisoner of her father’s grief at the death of his wife, whose tragic demise, face-down in a bowl of soup, is portrayed unnecessarily onscreen. Despereaux accepts his destiny and makes a valiant effort to free the princess and return rats and soup and sunlight to the kingdom. (Yes, it sounds convoluted and it is, so I won’t bother going into it here).
Tracey Ullman, Christopher Lloyd and Stanley Tucci do a fine job as a maidservant, thread maker and soup genie (don’t ask) respectively, while Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Robbie Coltrane, Frank Langella and Sigourney Weaver round out the cast.
Despite its flaws, Despereaux is watchable and enjoyable, and thematically compelling for adults. But it’s much better suited for kids, many of whom are sure to love its charm, sense of wonder and tenderness.
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