I didn’t know anything about The Tale of Despereaux, but I wanted to see it because the art looked really nice and really, I have no life, so it’s nice to get outta the house.
I’m glad I saw it though. The story was no big deal, I guess, but I really loved the visuals.

The Tale of Despereaux tells the story of a brave and noble mouse named Despereaux, and a rather civilized rat named Roscuro, and a strange little kingdom known as Dor, where “Soup Day” is the biggest thing going. There is also a sad princess in the mix, as well as an ambitious servant girl and , of course, a villain.
Matthew Broderick voices the titular character and does a fine job, but he’s relatively low key, as is Dustin Hoffman, who voices Roscuro. A little more alive with their vocals are Emma Watson, Tracy Ullman and Ciaran Hinds.
But really the movie works mostly because of the visuals. Based on the book by Kate Di Camillo, The Tale of Despereaux, features a rich, almost subtle CGI work, and some characters really appealed to me asthetically. Directors Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen really did a great job.

This movie is more of a kids’ movie than something adults will really get behind. There isn’t the kind of humor some animated flicks have that keep the parents entertained while soaring over kids’ heads. This is purely a family flick, but it’s definitely a purdy little rental for a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy.