The Tale Of Despereaux
- Year:2009
- Rating:G
- Cast:Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Christopher Lloyd, William H Macy, Emma Watson, Sigourney Weaver
- Release Date:January 08, 2009
- Distributor:Universal
- Running time:90 minutes
- Film Worth:$15.00
- FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
“…a true work of art.”
Once upon a time, a brave big-eared mouse, a sea-faring rat and some extremely talented CGI artists came together for a computer-animated fairytale that was simply one of the finest offerings of its genre. Aided by a to-die-for voice cast, The Tale Of Despereaux is a true work of art.
Matthew Broderick is the fearless mouse hero, Despereaux Tilling. He doesn't cower like other mice - instead of scurrying away from people, this daring non-conformist talks to them. Dustin Hoffman is Roscuro the rat, whose misadventure ignites the story. We're in the Kingdom Of Dor, famed for its heavenly soup. It's Royal Soup Day, and when Roscuro falls into the queen's souped-up bowl, he sets off a chain of events that plunge Dor into a state of soupless darkness. It's up to Despereaux to save the once-glorious kingdom and its princess prisoner.
Broderick and Hoffman are sublime as Despereaux and Roscuro, and Tracey Ullman's servant girl, Miggery Sow, is also a stand-out. Fellow voice actors Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Watson and narrator Sigourney Weaver - who speaks effectively to an audience of all ages - are just as impressive.
Based on Kate DiCamillo's book, the story is masterfully told. There's love and artistry in every frame, with the most magical moments being those from the worlds within a world, namely the visual feasts of the imaginative home of the mice and the exotic realm of the rats. If you're an animation fan, don't wait for the DVD - The Tale Of Despereaux deserves to be seen on the big screen. And you will live happily ever after...
