It amounts to less than the sum of its artfully conceived parts but remains a nice and visually interesting film.
The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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.
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
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Apr 7, 2009
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
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
The film looks great and the story is interesting enough for adults. It may be a little too complex and intense for young children.
Bland, over-stuffed, chaotic and ultimately underwhelming for both kids and adults.
The cinematic equivalent of a cozy bedtime story, warmly told with loving care.
Ego, fear and loathing will come between friends and drive family members apart in a surprisingly sophisticated journey for a kiddie flick.
Scratch a CGI fairytale and you'll find an allegory about class, particularly if rodents are involved.
If you’re an animation fan, don’t wait for the DVD – The Tale Of Despereaux deserves to be seen on the big screen.
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.
A thoroughly engaging, slightly offbeat adventure with solid themes running through it
For animation fans looking for a little more class and a lot less of the commonplace crass, this makes for a decent timepass.
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.
There's nothing actually wrong with Despereaux, but there's nothing all that right with it either.
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.
It’s like Ratatouille meets Upstairs Downstairs to go sort of cross-generational but it didn’t work really on any level.
The story has a kind of primal, childlike sweetness, even as it grows unexpectedly complicated.
Latest News for The Tale of Despereaux
April 06, 2009:
RT on DVD: Bedtime Stories, Yes Man, Doubt Hit Shelves
This week's new releases include a few Hollywood takes on science fiction (Fox's remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still; the 1984 sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact on... More...
December 19, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Twilight Shines In The UK Reviews
It's Christmas week in the UK cinemas, but instead of any festive films on offer, we have the eagerly anticipated (by young girls everywhere...) romantic vampire movie Twilight.... More...
December 19, 2008:
Exclusive photos from William Ross's scoring session to The Tale of Despereaux ![]()
More...
December 18, 2008:
Critics Consensus: No To Yes Man; Seven Pounds Is Too Heavy
This week at the movies, we've got self-improvement (Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel), mysterious altruism (Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| 19% 19% | Transformers: Revenge … |
| 55% 55% | Orphan |
| 43% 43% | The Proposal |
| 26% 26% | Land of the Lost |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 88% 88% | Ballast |
| 67% 67% | The Merry Gentleman |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Tale of Despereaux at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Tale of Despereaux at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Moviefone brings us 9 failed attempts at biographical films.

TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

BuzzSugar wants to know which movies coming out this month you're most looking forward to.

The AV Club takes a look back at Hedwig and the Angry Inch.



Top Critic


