Review of The Tale of Despereaux (2008) by Lili W — 05 May 2009

I was genuinely surprised. Entertained. Touched, even. What might have been a slog through the kiddie film routine turned out to be a much more mature, kid-friendly exploration of tough issues like the loss of a loved one, betrayal, turning to anger in grief.

.. not what I expected, clearly. Which is a good thing. It's a *great* thing. Philosophy aside, the script is usually just okay with a few really wonderful lines. In terms of voices, this was a real waste of Hoffman and Lloyd, both of whom I know can really rock animated films (see Kung Fu Panda and The Pagemaster).

Weaver is good, but not remarkable or memorable. As well, the animation is quite shoddy as is evident in the flat, expressionless human faces. Which is too bad, really, because the environments have lovely textures and colours.

A great romp for the whole family, though it might be a little too dark for kids under 7.