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Movies / On DVD / The Tale of Despereaux
The Tale of Despereaux

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The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

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Reviews Counted:105

Fresh:58

Rotten:47

Average Rating:5.6/10

Consensus: Despite its striking visuals, The Tale of Despereaux as a story feels familiar and unimaginative.

Rated: G

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Dec 19, 2008 Wide

Box Office: $50,818,750

Synopsis: Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of mouth-watering soup. But a terrible accident left the king broken-hearted, the... Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of mouth-watering soup. But a terrible accident left the king broken-hearted, the princess filled with longing and the townsfolk despondent. All hope was lost in a land where sunlight disappeared and the world became dreary gray. Until Despereaux Tilling was born... A brave and virtuous mouse, Despereaux is simply too big for his small world. Though tiny, wheezy and saddled with comically oversized ears, Despereaux refuses to live a life of weakness and fear...believing he was destined to be celebrated in the tales of chivalry he so adores. When he's banished from his home for not following the rules that society expects of a mouse, Despereaux befriends fellow outcast Roscuro, a good-hearted rat who can't bear to look in the mirror and hopes to live far from the grim underground of his kind. While Despereaux begins his noble quest to rescue Pea--a princess who can't see beyond her distorted view of the world--his pal Roscuro receives a painful rejection from her highness that sets him on a course of self-destruction. Along their parallel adventures, the two encounter colorful characters from a serving girl who wishes to be a princess to the evil leader of the sewer rats, who plots revenge on humans from his fiefdom in the subterranean shadows he relishes but Roscuro can't abide. From the highest turrets of the glittering castle to the dankest dark of Dor's sewers, friendships will be tested as Despereaux and Roscuro embark upon a journey that will change the way they look at their world--and themselves--forever. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness and redemption, one tiny creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show that what you look like doesn't equal what you are. --© Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, William H. Macy, James Nesbitt, Tracey Ullman, Sigourney Weaver, Frances Conroy, Tony Hale, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Lloyd, Stanley Tucci, Emma Watson

Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen

Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen
Screenwriter: Gary Ross, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Producer: Gary Ross, Allison Thomas
Composer: William Ross
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Release:

Apr 7, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region [unknown]
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • English, SDH, French, Spanish
  • French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Additional Release Material:

  • Build-A-Boldo Game
  • Despereaux's Quest Game
  • DVD-ROM - Card Creator, Fairy Tale Fantasy, Coloring Pages, Wallpapers, Screensaver

Featuette:

  • 1. Sneak Peek of Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!
  • 2. The Tale of The Tale of Despereaux: A (Mostly) Non-Fictional Making-Of
  • 3. Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears
  • Interactive Features
  • Interactive Map of the Kingdom of Dor
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Tale of Despereaux

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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It amounts to less than the sum of its artfully conceived parts but remains a nice and visually interesting film.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
04/08/09
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

To gegonos oti sto eikosalepto mporei na se riksei se bathy ypno, mporei na einai kai to kalytero kamoyflarisma aytoy toy anapanteha anepeisodiakoy ki anyperblita baretoy kinoymenoy ap' ta shediastika grafeia tis Universal Animation, poy den ehei kan to t

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
03/22/09
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

The film looks great and the story is interesting enough for adults. It may be a little too complex and intense for young children.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
02/11/09
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Bland, over-stuffed, chaotic and ultimately underwhelming for both kids and adults.

Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
01/31/09
Avi Offer
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru

The cinematic equivalent of a cozy bedtime story, warmly told with loving care.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/29/09
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Ego, fear and loathing will come between friends and drive family members apart in a surprisingly sophisticated journey for a kiddie flick.

Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National | comment Comment
01/09/09
Jason Di Rosso
Jason Di Rosso
MovieTime, ABC Radio National

Scratch a CGI fairytale and you'll find an allegory about class, particularly if rodents are involved.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
01/09/09
Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)

If you’re an animation fan, don’t wait for the DVD – The Tale Of Despereaux deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | comment Comment
01/08/09
Annette Basile
Annette Basile
FILMINK (Australia)

There are no cheesy pop-culture gags or similarly wacky wisecracks; the emphasis is purely on action and adventure, and it pays off wonderfully by the end.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia) | comment Comment
01/08/09
Leigh Paatsch
Leigh Paatsch
Daily Telegraph (Australia)

A thoroughly engaging, slightly offbeat adventure with solid themes running through it

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/01/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

For animation fans looking for a little more class and a lot less of the commonplace crass, this makes for a decent timepass.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/09
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

Framestore Feature Animation makes us feel we've gone to the Louvre and walked right into paintings by Vermeer or Brueghel, scenes of breathtaking subtlety and texture.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
12/23/08
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Christianity Today

There's nothing actually wrong with Despereaux, but there's nothing all that right with it either.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
12/23/08
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

A beautifully animated film with a gorgeous soundtrack.

Full Review Source: Kaplan vs. Kaplan | comment 1 Comment
12/22/08
Jeanne Kaplan
Jeanne Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan

Better than this year's critical darling 'Wall-E'.

Full Review Source: Kaplan vs. Kaplan | comment 5 Comments
12/22/08
David Kaplan
David Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan

It just tries to take a little bit from some of the things we’ve seen over the past few years that have worked to make this work and it’s just desperate and it doesn’t work.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
12/22/08
Ben Lyons
Ben Lyons
At the Movies
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It’s like Ratatouille meets Upstairs Downstairs to go sort of cross-generational but it didn’t work really on any level.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment 1 Comment
12/22/08
Ben Mankiewicz
Ben Mankiewicz
At the Movies
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The animation quality is first rate.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
12/22/08
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

The story has a kind of primal, childlike sweetness, even as it grows unexpectedly complicated.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
12/21/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

This creature is stirring. And yes, he's a mouse.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment 1 Comment
12/20/08
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
 
 
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