The Tale of Despereaux 2008

Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies: It's like Ratatouille meets Upstairs Downstairs to go sort of cross-generational but it didn't work really on any level. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: Despereaux is a pleasantly immersive, beautifully animated, occasionally sleepy tale. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: The imagery is colorful and artfully rendered, but the filmmakers, favoring technological wizardry over story, have beefed up the narrative with teeming rodent civilizations, a seafaring sequence, and gladiatorial action pieces. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: [The directors] can't quite locate a core of buoyant energy in the film as a whole. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: [The directors] give their film a stately pace that's a pleasant break from the usual sugared-up kids' mayhem. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: The Tale of Despereaux gathers a host of vocal talent for a relatively complicated story of heroism and loyalty, requiring that its young audience pay attention and is all the more rewarding for it (for kids and grown-ups). Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: A skillfully managed fairy tale about a mouse, a rat, and fairy tales in general. Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: Despereaux is a rare creature, not only for the handmade look and subtlety of its computer-generated imagery but also for its irony-free embrace of once-upon-a-time storytelling. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: I admired the craft more than I loved the results. But The Tales of Despereaux is still better-than-average animation. Read more

Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: The Tale of Despereaux looks like an illuminated manuscript brought to life. Too bad the story's such a mess. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: The film dispenses entirely with the bathroom humor that has become a standard element in so much kids entertainment. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Clumsily wedged in like a TV commercial between deafening stunts, the emotional storytelling sinks without a trace. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: Whereas the gorgeous, sophisticated Ratatouille was both a crowd-pleaser and a critical favorite, duly winning the Academy Award for best animated feature, Despereaux feels obvious, preachy and heavy-handed. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Their gentle care and attention help fill out this sweet tale. So, too, do the background artists who have created wonderfully intricate universes for the different rodents to inhabit. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR: The Tale Of Despereaux may be a little slow for the very youngest kids — though the messages it imparts are certainly ones you'll want them to hear. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Somber, slow and elegant instead of frantic and dazzling. It works like a beloved fairy tale. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: There's precious little space in Despereaux's tale for heroism (save for the third act) and humor. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Despereaux is a little too desperate to be loved. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: 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. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The Tale of Despereaux is one of the most beautifully drawn animated films I've seen, rendered in enchanting detail and painterly colors by an art department headed by Oliver Adam. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The Tale of Despereaux may not be a classic, but it still has a lot of class. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Flat-footed when it should be fleet, scary when it means to be exciting, and only intermittently emotionally effective, The Tale of Despereaux does a disservice to Kate DiCamillo's well-regarded children's book. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Like the old adage about too many cooks, The Tale of Despereaux is full of ideas, but the combination is more perturbing than satisfying. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: . The plot is too convoluted and there are too many characters to keep track of. Read more

Anna King, Time Out: It's hard to care what happens to Princess Pea when she's just a whiny British toff, waiting for a prince with a phallic-looking noggin to save her. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: While it's not animated with the breathless pizazz of a Pixar, 'Despereaux' is all the more affecting and dramatically successful for its contemplative pace and measured delivery of information. A lovely film. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: While the story does not quite come to magical life, the themes of courage, hope and decency are sweetly inspiring. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: This graphically well-rendered kidpic is less crass and mouthy than many recent feature-length toons, but also more sluggish and ungainly as it tries to approximate DiCamillo's singularly delicate tone. Read more

John Anderson, Washington Post: It's a beautiful film, but in the end, Despereaux is esthetically charmed but dramatically inert. Read more