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The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Directors:
Writers:
Release Date:
19 December 2008 (USA)
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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
Awards:
7 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(84 articles)
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User Comments:
Qualities and flaws
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US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Matthew Broderick | ... | Despereaux (voice) |
 | Dustin Hoffman | ... | Roscuro (voice) |
 | Emma Watson | ... | Princess Pea (voice) |
 | Tracey Ullman | ... | Miggery Sow (voice) |
 | Kevin Kline | ... | Andre (voice) |
 | William H. Macy | ... | Lester (voice) |
 | Stanley Tucci | ... | Boldo (voice) |
 | Ciarán Hinds | ... | Botticelli (voice) |
 | Robbie Coltrane | ... | Gregory (voice) |
 | Tony Hale | ... | Furlough (voice) |
 | Frances Conroy | ... | Antoinette (voice) |
 | Frank Langella | ... | Mayor (voice) |
 | Richard Jenkins | ... | Principal (voice) |
 | Christopher Lloyd | ... | Hovis (voice) |
 | Charles Shaughnessy | ... | Pietro (voice) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
93 min | 90 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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 Geneva) |
Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) |
Hong Kong:I |
South Africa:PG |
Greece:K |
Argentina:Atp |
Peru:PT |
Brazil:Livre |
Mexico:A |
Sweden:7 |
Germany:6 (w)
Company:
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.
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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.
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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!
[...]
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[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!
[...]
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "This Morning: (2009-04-09)" (2009)
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FAQ
Which character is Despereaux?What was that vegetable thingie in the kitchen?
Is there an official website?
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The qualities:
- Superb graphics, expressive, beautiful and stylish;
- Solid characters, both intrinsically and visually;
- A compelling atmosphere, and mood in general.
The flaws:
- A chaotic script, confusing and unprofessional. They were too ambitious to keep as much as possible of the novel's sub-plots and secondary characters, but didn't know how to organize them according to the screen-writing rules.
- A linear direction: everything flows on too uniformly, the important scenes are not accented and developed enough. As such, it gradually becomes boring, and during the culminating moments it's positively anticlimactic.
- The disadvantageous comparison with "Oblio". That one had spark! This one is also smart, but less inspired.