The Tale of Despereaux
- Title: The Tale of Despereaux
- IMDB: link
If Dumbo were a mouse he might look like Despereaux. Adapted from the Newberry Award winning children’s book by Kate DiCamillo our little hero, the bravest mouse in the world, takes a bit of a light-hearted and bloodless (don’t expect to see in mouse tails cut off here) jump to the big screen. The result is a so-so movie which hints and teases at more than the animated action-adventure we receive, but never delivers.
There is a skill to adapting a book into a movie. The rise and fall of action in a series of chapters often doesn’t translate directly to screen and the necessary beats of a feature film.
The Tale of Despereaux isn’t a bad film. It’s got an all-star cast, sharp animation, and a lovable protagonist. It also has too many characters, a convoluted plot, and a less than satisfying ending.
It’s 20+ minutes into the film before we even meet young Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a small mouse with a big heart who takes instantly the notion of chivalry. Despereaux doesn’t fit into a society that wants mice to cower and run; he dreams of adventure, and even doodles drawings of cats.
…
The Tale of Despereaux Read More »
Let’s start with the good, shall we? 
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve used the word impressed to describe a Disney animated film. Bolt proves two things: 1) Disney bringing Pixar into the fold was a very smart move and is starting to bear fruit, and 2) the Magic Kingdom may still have a little fairy dust left after all. Bolt is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.
