July 23, 2002 -- "Stuart Little II" features more adventures of the little mouse with the big heart and his most unconventional human family. The movie stars most of the same cast as the original and is helmed by the same director, Rob Minkoff. It is a very similar movie, with a little more action and a little less time spent on the human members of the Little family.

Based on characters created by E.B. White, the film follows the further adventures of the mouse, Stuart Little (voice by Michael J. Fox), and his human family composed of Mr. and Mrs. Little (played by Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis) and their son, George (played by Jonathan Lipnicki of "Jerry McGuire"). Also returning is the family cat, Snowbell (voice by Nathan Lane). When George finds a new friend to play with, Stuart feels left out, but he soon finds a new friend, a bird named Margolo (voice by Melanie Griffith). The new friends soon find themselves threatened by the evil Falcon (voice by James Woods). This leads to Stuart and Snowbell setting off on a daring rescue mission. The story is timeless. It sets forth the idea, once common, but becoming rarer by the day, that evil does not stand a chance against a courageous hero who is pure of heart and noble of spirit. We live in a world where these kinds of ideas are often ridiculed, but the ideas have a life, and a power, of their own. The story also has a strong theme about generosity, loyalty and unquestioning love of family and friends.

Much of the movie's charm lies in the utter cuteness of Stuart and Margolo. Their computer-animated faces are very expressive. Hugh Laurie of "The Man in the Iron Mask" gives a perfect performance as the head of the Little household. His character seems less silly and more rounded than it was in the first film. Geena Davis comes across as a bit shrill as Mrs. Little, constantly fretting over Stuart and George. Snowbell is still a delightfully self-centered cat, but he is slightly more noble in this film. The falcon makes an excellent villain. The alley cat, Monty, is another strong character (voice by Steve Zahn). The action is better in this film than in the first one, but the jokes aren't quite as funny. There is one great joke in the film, however, having to do with the fate of Stewart's car. Computer animation has come a long way since the first film in 1999 and it shows in "Stuart Little 2." There is incredible detail and expressiveness in the animated creatures and the animation blends seamlessly with the live action shots. This film rates a B.

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