Dustin Hoffman Movie:

		List Price: $19.98		Label: Universal Salesrank: 1543 Released: April 7, 2009
		Our Price: $5.79
		Used Price: $2.69
		MPAA Rating: G (General Audience) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:

Genre: Family
Rating: G
Release Date: 7-APR-2009
Media Type: DVD

Description of The Tale of Despereaux:
The Tale of Despereaux looks a little like Shrek. The storytelling and animation draw on everything from Ratatouille and classic fairytales to Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Indiana Jones, and, in its action sequences, even Bourne and Bond. But this movie stands on its own; too dark and violent for very young children, perhaps, but for the most part it’s exciting and funny, and it delivers a message about bravery and forgiveness that is relevant to us all. Voiced by Matthew Broderick, the title character is a little guy, even by mouse standards, with enormous ears and an imagination to match; much to the dismay of his elders, he "never cowers, won’t scurry, and refuses to be taught to be scared" (he’d much rather read a book than eat it, a pursuit that fills his head with visions of valiant knights, damsels in distress, and a life defined by "courage, honor, and decency"). That leads to his being banished from Mouseworld to the realm of the rats, where, it is presumed, he will be eaten. But no. Ratworld--a dark, chaotic, genuinely scary place--happens to be the current residence of one Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), a peaceful sort whose shenanigans in the human world have accidentally led to the death of the Queen, the imprisonment of the Princess (Emma Watson), and, worst of all, the banning of Soup Day (no small deal) and the end of soup itself! Roscuro and Despereaux join forces, inadvertently helped out by a homely but soft-hearted farm girl named Miggery Sow (Tracey Ullman), and, well, you can imagine how it all turns out. Directors Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen and scriptwriter Gary Ross (adapting Kate DiCamillo’s book) have concocted some vivid and interesting worlds for their film; the look is unusual, often washed out, muted, and bathed in hazy light; and the voice acting is excellent (others include William H. Macy, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, and Frank Langella). All in all, despite a conclusion that’s confusing even while it’s predictable, The Tale of Despereaux is a worthy addition to the crowded animation field. --Sam Graham

Coloring Page

Maze

Despereaux Ears

Stills from The Tale of Despereaux (Click for larger image)

The Tale of Despereaux Reviews:
the dvd is scratched and skips
2009-12-26 - I am very disappointed in this purchase of the tale of despereaux as the seller said it was "like new" and the movie skips. I expected better.

Believe me, its not a copy of Ratatouille
2009-12-08 - The movie starts as one about food and rats, so I straight away thought about Ratatouille, but the storyline quickly moves to tale about mice and rats, and how one mouse redeems a rat who actually prefers the company of humans over rats. Matthew Broderick plays the main role, and like his other recent movies, what we have is an inoffensive family movie that blends some comedy with some action and some drama. The animation is respectable, but nothing breath-taking. The soundtrack is generic, with some good orchestral music when Despereaux is reliving scees from a fairy tale book. Otherwise, nothing outstanding. All in all, an OK movie.

Great Movie
2009-11-29 - I sent this movie as a gift, so my review is purely second hane. What I was told was aaaaaaah.

A perfect recipe
2009-11-28 - Just as a good recipe is the essential prerequisite for a good soup so is a good script the essential prerequisite for a good movie. Happily this movie has not only a superb script which explores important human values, virtues and failings, it also uses only the finest ingredients; great voice acting, beautiful, original, and fitting design and art work, and top notch animation. And all this executed by the hands of master chefs--uh craftsmen.

As many reviews here suggest, it is too strong and too deep for young children. The Mrs, who has a better feel for these things than I, says the minimum age for this movie should be around 9 or 10.


A GOOD STORY, BUT IT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT WANTS TO BE!
2009-11-27 - I was a little disappointed in this film only because it seemed a little too adult for this type of film. The animation is excellent even if a bit dull and the voice acting is very good although not that inspired. I found the story to have a great message, but not enough excitement and sharp wit....something I've grown accustomed to as of late with so many top notch animated films. It's not a bad film, but there are certainly much better animated films and also many worse! It's a very good story, but I doubt it will keep the little ones attention.