As I said in some of my recent reviews I am not the target age for some kids movies with A-list stars (or B-list actors I love) voicing the characters because I am close to 24 and childless. Yet many of them are very good despite this, and since THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX has a voice over cast full of many great names, I knew that one day I should have seen it, and I was even amazed by the fact that despite it was a hugely advertised film in 2008 I never had the chance of seeing it until last September. Now I can discuss it.
Mouse Roscuro (voice by Dustin Hoffman) arrives by sea to the French kingdom during the French soup day, and the smell makes Roscuro go to the castle and fall in the cauldron, and when it ends on the Queen's plate she has an heart attack and dies, and then the king banishes both soups and mice. Years later Despereaux Tilling (voice by Matthew Broderick) is born, and along with having huge ears has other reasons to be different from other mice: he doesn't eat books but reads them and is brave. After being caught talking with a human Desperaux is hexiled and sent to the Rats where he meets and befriends Roscuro. Together they join forces and will save Princess Pea from the rats and the chef will return to cook soups again.
The CGI is different, it looks like the animators did it on purpose for giving the movie an European style and I kinda liked it. The voice acting was decent: Hoffman, Broderick, Richard Jenkins, William Macy, Christopher Lloyd and the narration by Sigourney Weaver... with such a cast you can't go wrong. Some of the situations were very funny and I still remember well the scene with Roscuro and Despereaux running in the castle chasen by the rats, it was so funny! I also liked how despite looking for small children it was enjoyable even for an adult like me that watches these movies only for the cast members.
Overall, a safe children's movie that manages to be funny for both children and the adults that are forced to see it with them, and with a great ending too. Not to be missed if you have a chance.
Mouse Roscuro (voice by Dustin Hoffman) arrives by sea to the French kingdom during the French soup day, and the smell makes Roscuro go to the castle and fall in the cauldron, and when it ends on the Queen's plate she has an heart attack and dies, and then the king banishes both soups and mice. Years later Despereaux Tilling (voice by Matthew Broderick) is born, and along with having huge ears has other reasons to be different from other mice: he doesn't eat books but reads them and is brave. After being caught talking with a human Desperaux is hexiled and sent to the Rats where he meets and befriends Roscuro. Together they join forces and will save Princess Pea from the rats and the chef will return to cook soups again.
The CGI is different, it looks like the animators did it on purpose for giving the movie an European style and I kinda liked it. The voice acting was decent: Hoffman, Broderick, Richard Jenkins, William Macy, Christopher Lloyd and the narration by Sigourney Weaver... with such a cast you can't go wrong. Some of the situations were very funny and I still remember well the scene with Roscuro and Despereaux running in the castle chasen by the rats, it was so funny! I also liked how despite looking for small children it was enjoyable even for an adult like me that watches these movies only for the cast members.
Overall, a safe children's movie that manages to be funny for both children and the adults that are forced to see it with them, and with a great ending too. Not to be missed if you have a chance.