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The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

G | | Adventure, Animation, Comedy | 19 December 2008 (USA)
The Tale of Despereaux Poster
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2:13 | Trailer

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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 ... See full summary »

Directors:

,

Writers:

(book), (screen story) | 2 more credits »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
53
Reviews
1 win & 8 nominations. See more awards »

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Photos

61 photos | 16 videos | 229 news articles »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Despereaux (voice)
...
Roscuro (voice)
...
Princess Pea (voice)
...
Miggery Sow (voice)
...
Andre (voice)
...
Lester (voice)
...
Boldo (voice)
...
Botticelli (voice)
...
Gregory (voice)
...
Furlough (voice)
...
Antoinette (voice)
...
Mayor (voice)
...
Principal (voice)
...
Hovis (voice)
...
Pietro (voice)
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

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. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

book | dungeon | darkness | rat | princess | See All (77) »

Taglines:

Small Mouse. Big Dreams. See more »

Genres:

Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

19 December 2008 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Despereaux - Der kleine Mäuseheld  »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£560,870 (UK) (19 December 2008)

Gross:

$50,818,750 (USA) (27 February 2009)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

There are many simarities in the score between this and Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban See more »

Goofs

When Despereaux 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 Despereaux, the red string is missing for one shot. When the camera shows him again before being dropped, the string reappears properly. See more »

Quotes

Miggery Sow: Ding Ding.
Gregory: Slop.
[Miggery stops. Pause]
Gregory: No, don't stop! I said slop!
See more »

Connections

Featured in The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is "The Tale of Despereaux" based on a book?
Q: How closely does the movie follow the book?
Q: What is the name of the lute music played by the King?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Disappointing, to say the least
4 January 2009 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

This was a movie that was "just there." I remember being doubtful about Ratatouille. After all, rats and food? Didn't sound like the best combo, but Ratatouille grabs you and pulls you in. Not Despereaux. I was waiting for it to happen, but I was sorely disappointed. The plot was meandering and had no drive to it. I think I chuckled at one thing during the movie, but mostly it was devoid of humor. My kids may have laughed once, too. They didn't leave with the normal "can we get that on DVD" questions. You're waiting for something to happen, for something to peak your interest, for a little heart palpitation, a little humor, an interesting plot twist. It's just not there. One person called the movie a "hack job" on the book. I can't speak to that, since I did not read the book, but I hope - for the author's sake, at least - that the book was better. I'd recommend that you wait to rent this movie. Your kids may like it, but I doubt they will find it as good as Ratatouille, Cars, Shrek, or some of the other quality kids films, so don't waste your money in the theater. For a $5 rental, it's OK. But for the big bucks they charge at the theater, no way!
42 of 71 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?
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Message Boards

Recent Posts
Walked out after 15 min. bastiaankoch
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
Ebert: 'One of the most beautifully drawn animated films I've seen.' pennslate
It happened with Ratatouille and now Despereaux... mizpriz29
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