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Title:  The Tale of Despereaux My Rating: 4 ½ star

Released: 2008

Directed by: Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen

Stars: 

  • Emma Watson, (The Harry Potter Series,) as Princess Pea
  • Dustin Hoffman, (Finding Neverland, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Last Chance Harvey,) as Roscuro
  • Matthew Broderick, (The Lion King, Inspector Gadget, Bee Movie,) as Desperaux
  • Tracey Ullman, (Panic, Small Time Crooks,) as Miggery Sow
  • Ciaran Hinds, (The Phantom of the Opera, Amazing Grace, The Nativity Story, Race to Witch Mountain, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,)as Botticelli
  • Sigourney Weaver, (Holes, The Village, Vantage Point, Be Kind Rewind, WALL-E, Avatar,) as the Narrator
Rating: G 


Premise:  When a young mouse is born into the world, it doesn’t take long for his family to notice he is different.  He has big ears, reads books, and isn’t afraid.  Soon, his boldness and courage get him banished from his home, and he is sent to the dungeons where the evil rats live.  Despereaux must draw upon his courage and chivalry to save a princess, defeat evil, and restore a kingdom to its’ former glory.   

Production:  I’m going to go ahead and confess that I’m typically not a fan of animated films.  I find that live action films suit me better.  That being said however, the Tale of Despereaux based off the Newberry Award winning book by Kate DiCamillo is probably one of a few exceptions to that rule.  With its dreamy animation style, and the beautiful storyline, the Tale of Despereaux is a winner in almost every way.  One thing that many Christians will especially appreciate is the deep themes present in the film.  Most animated films serve nothing up but a few cheap laughs, some corny jokes, and a random plot.  The Tale of Despereaux does none of that.  Instead, concepts like hope, forgiveness, courage and chivalry are discussed and honored throughout the film.  The main character, Despereaux is described as a mouse, “Who always told the truth.” He is not afraid to do what is right.  Also present in the film are some analogies that many Christians will be very familiar with.  The evil rats live in darkness and hate the light, and that is one of the biggest struggles throughout the film; the conflict between light and dark, between good and evil.  As I mentioned before, the concept of forgiveness is also one of the big themes running throughout the movie, as the characters struggle with forgiving each other of past offenses, and to make right the wrongs they’ve done.  You may not come away from the Tale of Despereaux laughing, but you will come away thinking, and that is saying a lot about any film.     

Cautions:

I think the only concern parents will have with this is a few instances where the characters take the Lord’s name in vain.  On the whole, there is very little that is offensive.  I would caution that some of the themes, although very good, might be a little intense for younger viewers.  The makers of Despereaux do a good job presenting a deep contrast between good and evil, and the evil, (as in real life,) is truly is despicable, even if only on a G rated scale.  I would just urge parents to watch the film beforehand, to make sure they think their children can handle some of the darker elements and evil moments of the film.   

Conclusion:

This movie ranks high when it comes to my favorites list.  I think the themes and concepts presented in this sweet yet thought provoking film, make it well worth watching.  It may lack cheap jokes, but it radiates heartfelt emotions in a way that most live action movies cannot.  I would definitely recommend this to everyone as a movie that will challenge your ideas of chivalry, courage, love and forgiveness, and that will inspire you to live out your real life quest with those same virtues.   
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