The Tale of Despereaux
“If you know anything about fairy tales, you know that a hero does’t appear until the world really needs one”, so the narrator tells us early on in THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. And as the curtain rises on this story, the once idyllic kingdom of Dor is in desperate need of a hero. With sunlight lost to a permanent cloud cover, a King mourning a dead Queen, the rat population in exile and, oddly, a complete ban on the savory soup that once made it famous Dor is but a dark shadow of its former self. And to this kingdom, a mouse is born.Despereaux Tilling arrives into the world, half the size of the other mice with twice the heart and triple the courage and curiosity (along with a giant pair of Dumbo-like ears thrown in for good measure). Despereaux’s spirit of adventure prevents him from learning to cower in fear like all good mice are supposed to and, when faced with all the books in the King’s library, his instinct and desire is to read the pages instead of eat them as ordered by his teacher. Despereaux is enraptured by the tales of chivalry, bravery and honor and, with each page, he confirms his own conviction that there is nothing to be afraid of in the world. “Whenever you have hope, you are never anyone’s prisoner,” assures the narrator.
While Despereaux gets the title billing of the film, he shares the narrative with several other characters in a plot that is, at the very least, cluttered and, at its worst, convoluted. Also featured in this tale of redemption are Roscuro, a kind rat who at first, befriends Despereaux and then betrays him; Princess Pea, the beautiful princess who needs to be rescued,; and Mig, the homely servant girl who needs to be loved.
All are prisoners in some sense or another, with Roscuro in actual confinement in Ratworld, Despereaux in banishment from his home and Princess Pea’s confinement in hers. Even all the people of Dor are trapped in dismal sadness. All collide in a story filled with adventure, intrigue, treachery and derring do. Luckily, since this a fairy tale, Despereaux has enough hope for all and is able to lead the heroic charge that frees the hearts and minds and bodies of all deserving their happy ending.
Much like the title of the award winning children’s book by Kate DiCamillo on which it is based, “The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread”, the story tries to pack too much in and, in that sense, the film stumbles short of the triumph promised by the sum of its parts. Judged on its individual components (and they are very good pieces), Despereaux is a beautiful fairy tale combining rich animation, a moving story, a cute and charming hero, thrilling adventure, a rousing score and a heart and soul rarely found in a children’s fantasy. And although you are never supposed to be able to have too much of a good thing, the pot boils over a few times with just too much story.
Hand in hand with the animators, the cast brings these characters to life, imbued with the depth and honesty of the best live action performances. In the capable hands of charismatic leads Matthew Broderick (Despereaux), Emma Watson (Princess Pea) and Dustin Hoffman (Roscuro), we feel the passion and pain challenging their souls. The supporting cast backs them up admirably and features Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Lloyd and Frank Langella. Worth special note is Sigourney Weaver’s particularly effective performance as the wise, commanding and always reassuring narrator who guides us through the story, adding dramatic accent to the moral as she goes.
Hampered only by its well-intentioned desire to make the most of the book’s dense story, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is an otherwise strong film with much to enjoy for fans of the genre.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman
Directed by: Sam Fell (Flushed Away) and Robert Stevenhagen
Rated G
Running time: 100 minutes
