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December 19, 2008

Tale of Despereaux is rare film - watch it

“The Tale of Despereaux” is a story about courage, being okay with being different and seeing beyond how others want you to be.

The film portrays curious little worlds like Rat World, a fantastical world of water canals, bridges and, okay, rats. Then there is Mouse World, a bed-time story setting of a cozy village somewhere, that gets all shaken up when a mouse named Despereaux unknowingly takes delight in the world about him and doesn’t see things or play his life out according to “how a mouse should be.” More than one character tells him, “you’re such a strange little mouse.”

Then there is the relatively boring life at the castle. This is one of those modern fairy tales that portrays the downside of being a princess, trapped and isolated in a castle, restrained by royal rules. Thank goodness Princess Pea breaks out of the “Ophelia” cast and gets on with life, toting sunshine in her wake.

“The Tale of Despereaux” is a modern day “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” Desperaux goes beyond “the mouse ways,” which initially, gets him in trouble.

The story reminds us that the heart can become hardened and twisted because it has been hurt. The heart can go down to the dungeon, but the heart can also forgive and heal. And in the end, good overcomes evil and tolerance can overcome intolerance. If you’re not in to all the symbolic or emotional stuff , don’t worry, it’s just a great movie to watch.

Sigourney Weaver narrates the tale. Matthew Broderick voices Despereaux, Dustin Hoffman is the voice for Roscuro and Emma Thompson gives voice to Princess Pea.

The film is entertaining, down to earth, heart-warming and funny. In other words, good story, good teachings, good film. Go see it!

The Tale of Despereaux

Rating: (*** out of *****)

Synopsis: (Courtesy of Universal Pictures) The Tale of Despereaux film begins once upon a time in the faraway kingdom of Dor, where there was magic in the air, laughter aplenty, and gallons of mouthwatering soup. But an accident left the King broken-hearted, the Princess filled with longing, and the townsfolk without their soup. Sunlight disappeared. The world became gray. All hope was lost in this land . . . until Despereaux Tilling was born.

The Tale of Despereaux film is a modern fairy tale from visionary filmmaker Gary Ross, together with directors Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen. It tells the story of several unlikely heroes: Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a brave mouse banished to the dungeon for speaking with a human; Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), a good-hearted rat who loves light and soup, but is exiled to darkness; Pea (Emma Watson), a Princess in a gloomy castle who is prisoner to her father’s grief; and Mig (Tracey Ullman), a servant girl who longs to be a Princess, but is forced to serve the jailer (Robbie Coltrane).

The Tale of Despereaux film centers on Despereaux, tiny and graced with oversized ears, who was born too big for his little world. Refusing to live his life cowering, he befriends a Princess named Pea and learns to read (rather than eat) books—reveling in stories of knights, dragons, and fair maidens. In the Tale of Despereaux film, Despereaux has been banished from Mouseworld for being more man than mouse, but he is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro, who also wants to hear the tales. But when the Princess dismisses Roscuros friendship, he becomes the ultimate rat and plots revenge with fellow outsider Mig.

After Pea is kidnapped in the Tale of Despereaux film, Despereaux discovers he is the only one who can rescue her and that even the tiniest mouse can find the courage of a knight in shining armor. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness, and redemption, one small creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show the truth: what you look like doesn’t equal what you are.

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