THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
US, 2008. 92 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Watson, Tracy Ullman, Kevin Cline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Ciaran Hines, Robbie Coltrane, Tony Hale, Frances Conroy, Frank Langella, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Shaughnessy.
Directed by Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen.
What a delightfully entertaining animated film.
Sigourney Weaver delivers a narration with just the right tone of information and tongue-in-cheek quirkiness about the events and the characters and the happy ending.
The visual style is quite sumptuous at times, the sea, a medieval town, the interiors of a castle, the castle kitchen and the grungy Ratworld and the genteel Mouseworld. The humans tend to be long-faced and gaunt, except for some of the servants. The rats are large and verminous. The mice are nice, especially the tiny Desperaux whose ears are almost as long as himself. But he has a staunch and fearless heart, despite the Mouseworld ethos that mice have to be scared all the time, and lessons in fear are provided at school.
There is enough action and humour for children, though the big cat menacing Desperaux in Ratworld's equivalent of the Colisseum has its frightening moments. But, adults should enjoy it too, especially when they read the voice cast list at the beginning. Matthew Broderick can still do nice young creatures (as he did in The Lion King). Dustin Hoffman is very good indeed as the vagabond Rat, Roscuro, who goes through some upsetting adventures and has to make a moral choice at the end. There is Kevin Kline as the chef with Stanley Tucci as a man made up of fruit and vegetables. Ciaran Hinds rules Ratworld, looking like Nosferatu and sounding like a typical aristocratic British movie villain. Tracy Ullman is the rather large servant and Robbie Coltrane is her large father. With entertaining dialogue to speak, they give the film an added aplomb.
But, there is plenty of plot which plays on the familiar fairy tales with their quests and heroism – particularly important because Despereaux is not your typical mouse (and the question is asked whether he is mouse or man), fearless, rapt in books (instead of eating them) and has an imagination full of Knightly adventures as well as heroics for saving the princess. The rats are the villains and we would need to see Ratatouille again to rehabilitate them in our minds.
If you appreciate animated films, of which there is such a range these days, Despereaux is a pleasure to watch and listen to.
1.A delightful film for adults and children? Playing on fairy tales, playing on other animated films?
2.The animation style: the settings, the characters, the humans with their long bodies and faces, the fat humans, the animals, larger than life, rats and mice? The monstrous cat? The mediaeval town? The interiors? The musical score?
3.The narrative voice-over, Sigourney Weaver and her tone, telling the tale, the introduction to the rat, to Despereaux, explaining his quest? The rescue? The happy ending – and the uncertain happy ending?
4.The introduction to Roscuro, on the boat, chatting with the sailor, seeing land, arriving on Soup Day, the smells, the people in the streets, following the smell to the castle?
5.The making of the soup, the chef and his temperament, the assistants working hard, the mechanism for the vegetables, the bowls for the soup, the vegetable man and his coming together, the recipes from the book, the fight between the two, the delay in the soup, the wine going into the soup – and producing the masterpiece?
6.The royal family, waiting for the soup, the crowds, the smell, the chef serving, Roscuro and his being in the room, falling into the soup, the queen and her tasting, her being upset with Roscuro, her face in the soup, her death?
7.The king and his grief, the sad princess? The banning of all soup? The exiling of the rats? The effect on the kingdom of Dor: no rain, the darkness and clouds, the people and their misfortunes, the royal family moping?
8.The Rat World, Roscuro and his being pursued, the soldiers, the sinister rat, Botticelli? Welcoming Roscuro, seeing difficulties, trying to train him to be a proper rat?
9.The contrast with Mouse World, the coin going in, the scene of Despereaux’s birth, his being short, the big ears? The mice in the town, his going to classes, not being afraid, his parents’ concern, the teacher trying to instil fear? The picture of the carving knife? The father, the discussions with the school principal? Wanting Despereaux’s brother to teach him how to be afraid? Despereaux as adventurous, wanting to take risks? Going to the library, supposedly eating the books, his reading them instead? His discovery of the world of imagination? The visualising of his imagination, the knight, the dragons, the rescuing of the princess? Despereaux as a gentleman, recounting his story, the princess? His return home, the arrest, the trial, his being condemned, exiled, the blind mouse taking him down to the basement?
10.Despereaux as hero, small, seeing himself as a giant, his ears, his heart, aims, bravery, truth and justice?
11.Meg, seeing herself as a princess, with the pigs, her uncle, going to the castle to be a servant, with the crown, trying it on, her relationship with the princess? Taking food down to the basement? Her despising of the guard – and the irony of his being her father? Roscuro and his plan, tempting Meg, taking the princess? The princess and her being like Gulliver in the city of the rats? Meg in prison?
12.The rats, their hunger, Botticelli and his advisers, the gladiatorial area, the giant cat? His being perceived through the mirror to enlarge his presence? Despereaux’s arrival, condemned, facing the cat, Roscuro saving him?
13.The crisis, Despereaux and the rescue of the princess, Roscuro’s help? The lights shining on the rats? Their fear?
14.Despereaux ringing the bell, the change in the kingdom, the clouds, the rain, the sunshine, the cook and his dream, the vegetable man, the king and his becoming happy again? The restoration of the princess?
15.The happy ending and the glimpse of everyone? The ship, the castle, the cook – but the narrator putting down happy endings?
16.The quality of the voice cast and their ability at drama, comedy? The heroics and the message of the story?
