IMDb > The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
The Tale of Despereaux
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Tale of Despereaux (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 65 | slideshow) Videos (see all 33 NEW)
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- The Tale of Despereaux - Theatrical Trailer
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Clip: Despereaux tries to tell Chef Andre about the Princess' capture
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Behind the scenes: Tracey Ullman makes noises in the studio
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Interview: Sigourney Weaver "On the what the film has to offer"
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Trailer: Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is determined to rescue his beloved princess.

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   5,783 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Kate DiCamillo (book)
Will McRobb (screen story)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Tale of Despereaux on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 December 2008 (USA) more
Tagline:
Small Hero. Big Heart. more
Plot:
The tale of three unlikely heroes - a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears - whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle's princess. | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(82 articles)
Gary Ross to Direct Matt Helm Before Venom
 (From ReelzChannel. 13 October 2009, 4:24 AM, PDT)

Gary Ross Working on Venom
 (From movies.about.com. 8 October 2009, 6:40 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Sublime! Not a Hollywood cookie cutter. more (80 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Runtime:
93 min | 90 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS
Certification:
USA:G (certificate #44910) | UK:U | Ireland:G | Australia:G | Portugal:M/4 (dubbed version) | Portugal:M/6 (original version) | Norway:7 | Czech Republic:U | Portugal:M/6 (subtitled version) | Finland:K-7 | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Singapore:G | South Korea:All | Netherlands:6 | New Zealand:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Hong Kong:I | South Africa:PG | Greece:K | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Brazil:Livre | Mexico:A | Sweden:7 | Germany:6 (w)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Sylvain Chomet was originally set to direct before being dismissed by the production company, to be replaced with Sam Fell. Chomet stated his ideas were too dark for them, and that marketing would question his character designs with future merchandising in mind. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Despereux is about to be dropped into the rat dungeon, he has red string wrapped around his waist. The camera cuts away to show the dungeon, and when it comes back to see Despereux, the red string is missing. more
Quotes:
Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a brave, little mouse who loved honor and justice and always told the truth.
[Camera zooms in and we see a rat named Roscuro]
Narrator: No, that's not him. That's a rat. And anyone who knows anything, knows there is a big difference between a mouse and a rat. First of all, rats hate the light.
[Roscuro climbs on a barrel and looks at the sun]
Narrator: They spend their lives in the darkness. Also terrify the people which is why they're slinking and cover all the time.
[Roscuro goes to near of a sailor]
Narrator: And as far as telling the truth as concerned, well, that is impossible, because as everyone knows a rat can't talk.
[Roscuro starts to talk]
Roscuro: Tell me that thing again, please.
Pietro: Come on!
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
References Dumbo (1941) more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Which character is Despereaux?
What was that vegetable thingie in the kitchen?
more
14 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Sublime! Not a Hollywood cookie cutter., 26 December 2008
10/10
Author: trint from United States

I understand the less than stellar reviews from some. This movie is not Toy Story or Madagascar. Don't expect to see Buzz Lightyear kitsch, or Shrek fart-jokes. It is a fairy tale of the finest sort.

I am a long time fan of CGI animation, since the days before Pixar was a household name (and I do love Toy Story). The artistry and technical achievements in this film leave me speechless. The characters emoted better than many live-action films. (They did seem to cut a couple of corners on non-critical characters. The cat was pretty bad by comparison, but it's only in two scenes.) The feel is very literary, as it should be. And you get the feeling they made some sacrifices to get the book to the screen. (Don't they always?) The film makes me want to read the book and see what I missed. Still, the story stands well on it's own.

The voice talent (What a star packed cast!!) was held in check allowing the story to shine through. You don't find yourself thinking, "Hey, it's Robin Williams!" or "Hey, it's Mike Meyers!" (Thank God!) Instead, you enjoy the characters and only momentarily think, "I know that voice." It may be too cerebral (read "old skool") for some of today's iPod, Dragon Ball Z, Nintendo DS, 24/7 non-stop stimulation generation, but it's exactly the kind of story they need.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (80 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
My poor daughter toughed it out as long as she could... Brooke123
Well... I liked it renardazur
What in the holy hell was up with the veggie demon? kindigth
Poor Man's Flushed Away and Ratatouille pinkylulu
The book is an easy AWESOME read, not like this movie. Topphotomom
My review fishwormflats
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Shrek the Third Shrek Stardust Mio min Mio Raspberry & Lavender
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.