The Tale of Despereaux Review
Kate DiCamillo’s Fantasy Book Becomes Computer-Animated Film
Dec 19, 2008
School’s out for Christmas, and children are looking forward to a visit from St. Nicholas. In anticipation, take the tikes to see a tale which personifies some of the spirit of the season!
The Plot
The Tale of Despereaux returns to the tradition of stories about knights and their defense of honor and goodness.
Despereaux, a mouse born with his eyes open, is unlike other mice, not only because of his unusually large ears. While school teaches fear, Despereaux only understands courage, and when he learns to read books, rather than eat them, from fairytales he begins to learn about chivalry and honor.
He soon meets Princess Pea, a lonely lady-fair. Since the rat-caused accidental death of Pea’s mother, her father, the king, has banned many things, including rats and soup from the kingdom. Sorrow and solitude has seeped through the castle, and following her initial fear being put to rest, Pea is soon pleased for the “gentlemanly” company of Despereaux. Unfortunately, when the mouse-community learns that Despereaux has been conversing with humans, he is banished to the dungeon, where he comes to meet some rats.
One of these rats, resentful of rodents having been ridiculed by the king, resolves to seek revenge by kidnapping the princess. Despereaux, realizing that Pea is in danger, soon sets out to save her, and various adventures follow until the entirely happy ending.
The Cast of Voices
Despereaux is voiced by Matthew Broderick, and Princess Pea is portrayed by Emma Watson, popular among children as Hermione in the series of Harry Potter movies. Well-known names such as Dustin Hoffman and Sigourney Weaver also loan their voices to some of the cartoon characters, and respected actors such as Kevin Kline and Christopher Lloyd round out the cast.
Suitability for Children
This is an amusing animated adventure, which also relays the value of being true to oneself and believing in the best. The unlikely hero, Despereaux, reminds audiences of the importance of nobleness and generosity, and the movie is thus endearingly entertaining.
Although “Rated G” and predominantly comic, its serious aspects, such as the seen death of Pea’s mother, may be unsettling to small children. However, while caution is advisable, this is a quality movie emphasizing valor and good-spirits. Based on the 2003 book of the same name by Newberry Award winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo, could still make for a delightful distraction during the wait for Christmas morning!
