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Movie Overview
Director
• Sam Fell
• Rob Stevenhagen
• Rob Stevenhagen
MPAA Rating
G
The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

REVIEWS
NEWS
INTERVIEWS
OTHER
OFCS Rating: 57% Rotten
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C-
"It's frustrating to watch Tale flounder as much as it does, but when the filmmakers don't seem particularly comfortable with the source material, it doesn't invite the viewer inside to experience any potential magic."  BrianOrndorf.com  Brian Orndorf

4/5
"The cinematic equivalent of a cozy bedtime story, warmly told with loving care."  eFilmCritic.com  David Cornelius

2/4
"A curiously lifeless motion picture, its emotional content so stuffy and its tone so understated that it almost becomes a chore to sit through."  DustinPutman.com  Dustin Putman

C+
"It takes a long time to find its way; even once it's on track, it has a hard time juggling the shifting story lines and characters."  EricDSnider.com  Eric D. Snider

C
"A nice-looking, respectable but oddly unsatisfying family fable."  One Guy's Opinion  Frank Swietek

5/5
"An absolutely wonderful animated screen version of a Newbery award-winning children's book about courage, love, light, and forgiveness."  Spirituality and Practice  Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

2.5/4
"The Tale of Despereaux looks like it was made about 10 years ago and, at a time when even mediocre animated films can generally boast a stunning look, this movie's uninspired animation is a source of disappointment."  ReelViews  James Berardinelli

"Parental Content Review"  Screen It!  Jim Judy

2.5/4
"Unusual animated fable - about a courageous mouse that saves a kingdom - suffers from an over-abundance of story but has its heart in the right place."  Big Picture Big Sound  Joe Lozito

1/5
"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"  Movies for the Masses  Joseph Proimakis

2.75/5
"Unlike so many animated films that are clogged with trendy pop-culture references, the filmmakers recall older tales with a wink and a nod."  Film-Forward.com  Kent Turner

2.5/5
"this movie really isn't a tale of Despereaux at all. It could have been as accurately called The Tale of Soup"  7M Pictures  Kevin Carr

"[A]n absolute delight, sweetly inventive and surprisingly dark and dedicated to making you forget how many times we've seen similar stories before... with its wit and cleverness..."  Flick Filosopher  MaryAnn Johanson

3/4
"For animation fans looking for a little more class and a lot less of the commonplace crass, this makes for a decent timepass."  TheMovieReport.com  Michael Dequina

B-
"The visuals are rich and inviting but a complicated three-part story makes an uneasy transition to screen for the well-loved book by Kate DiCamillo."  Beliefnet  Nell Minow

1.5/4
"In a post-Ratatouille world, an animated film about rodents and fine cuisine is the exact opposite of original."  Slant Magazine  Nick Schager

4/5
"A thoroughly engaging, slightly offbeat adventure with solid themes running through it"  Shadows on the Wall  Rich Cline

C+
"The film looks great and the story is interesting enough for adults. It may be a little too complex and intense for young children."  Laramie Movie Scope  Robert Roten

B
"Parents beware, DespereauxL is not for the little ones. But it is a good one for age 10 on up."  Reeling Reviews  Robin Clifford

B+
"Not a Fractured Fairy Tale, not an ironic deconstruction … but a sincere morality tale in a folk storytelling mode, with dark themes to do the Grimm Brothers proud."  Decent Films Guide  Steven D. Greydanus

5/10
"A dour, barely adequate adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's Newberry Medal-winning book. Unless you're desperate to get the kids out of the house, wait for the dvd."  SSG Syndicate  Susan Granger
OFCS Rating: 57% Rotten
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