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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Salesrank: 10084
Released: December 13, 2005 |
| Our Price: $3.50 |
| Used Price: $1.25 |
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MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The whole world is looking for a hero, and it's up to a little pigeon named Valiant to step up and bravely serve his country. Valiant (Ewan McGregor) and his fine, feathered friends take to the sky on a wing and a prayer to prove that it's not your wingspan but the size of your spirit that truly counts. Together this rag-tag squadron of birdbrains engages in hilarious aerial adventures at a spitfire pace. From the first bumbling day of basic training through the final feather-raising mission, the flock of comical characters swoops their way toward victory. From the producer of SHREK and SHREK 2, VALIANT delivers stunning animation, a top-flight voice cast, and an action-packed story loaded with laughs. It's a soaring family comedy that truly earns its wings.~
Description of Valiant:
A host of great British thespians, from Ewan MacGregor to John Cleese, lend their voices to Valiant, a computer-animated bird's-eye-view of World War II. Valiant (MacGregor, Big Fish, Down With Love), though but a small pigeon, is determined to join the homing pigeon brigade and do his part to help win the war. He and a handful of other misfits are assembled into a motley squad and suddenly find themselves thrust into combat with the responsibility of delivering a crucial message. Unfortunately, the villainous Von Talon (Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), a Nazi falcon, intends to tear them to feathers over the English Channel. Aside from some delightful voice work from Ricky Gervais (The Office) as a filthy but cunning pigeon, there's not much to recommend about Valiant. The story is clunky, cliche-ridden, and underdeveloped; the design is charmless and inexpressive; the characters are so generic that even a cast as talented as Jim Broadbent (Topsy-Turvy, Iris), Hugh Laurie (House), and John Hurt (1984, The Elephant Man) can do little to make them anything but bland stereotypes from a long-exhausted movie genre. Overall, poorly conceived and clumsily executed. --Bret Fetzer
Valiant Reviews:
my son really liked this movie and so did I 
2009-10-02 - This movie features good animation with a good storyline a nice combination - buy this dvd and you will not be disappointed. if you like movies like chicked little and chicken run then get this now!!
Unbelievably delightful for all ages! 
2009-07-21 - This is a great teaching tool about a wonderful but largely forgotten slice of history. Kids will learn to appreciate the pigeons they see around them every day, and grown-up history buffs will love all of the WWII references, character tidbits, and the excellent cast. (Who doesn't love John Cleese or Ewan MacGregor?) Recommend it without a moment's hesitation!
Beautiful Visuals, But Story Needed More Humor
2009-06-22 - I can see where this Disney animated feature film really never made it big-time. It offers some really good things but overall, it just isn't funny enough to be a hit.
It certainly has the visuals to be a smash. Man, this is a beautiful film. The colors are bold and brilliant, scene after scene. It's a visual feast. For that reason alone, I give it five "stars."
Some of the humor is funny and very clever, but not enough of it. The story is a takeoff on old World War II films which kids will never "get." Too much of the gags involve slapstick as one of the pigeons flies into a wall or falls down, making a loud noise or that "Bugsy" belches and farts a lot. That happens frequently and wears thin fast. The laughs come more with the subtle stuff.
Story-wise, it's the usual little guy or misfits-being-heroes story, so common in films. Valiant is the little pigeon who really shouldn't even be in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service because he's too little, but he gets in, along with his aforementioned smelly friend "Bugsy" and then inspires everyone while also wooing a pretty nurse.
Once again, though: hats off to the artists. This is one beautiful-looking animated movie.
Inspiring Animated Fun
2009-03-19 - This is a great family film. Even my son, age 13, enjoyed it. The pidgeons were courageous and funny. I especially liked that it was based on events the actually happened in World War II.
GREAT FAMILY FILM
2009-01-09 - This is a great family film to watch together or let the kids watch alone. It would also make a great choice for grandparents and babysitters to put in their video library to use when the little ones are over. It is also a good movie to watch when you just want something funny to pass the time even if the kids aren't around.
