(2008) The story of a loyal, courageous, chivalrous mouse, observing a code of honor, begins with a rat on a ship. After the vessel on which Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) has been sailing makes port in the Kingdom of Dore, the rodent savors the aroma of chef Andre's soup, an annual occasion on the first Sunday of every spring. But when he falls into the queen's bowl, causing her to fall fatally face forward into the pottage, a commotion erupts, sending Roscuro scurrying for his life into the bowels of the castle.

In the aftermath the king in his inconsolable grief declares the making of soup forbidden and rats illegal. His attempt to dictate against nature results in a permanent gloomy overcast, the end of rain and sunshine as well as his daughter's unhappy isolation.

Old-fashioned family fare from - it's not Disney but Universal Pictures - directors Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen, adapted from Kate Dicamillo's book, in a vividly vivacious CGI-animated format (a merger of cartoon illustration and imitative stop-action) - narrated by Sigourney Weaver accompanied by the voices of Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Ciarán Hinds, Frank Langella, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Lloyds, among others - has not the least suggestion of sex, just good, wholesome violence.

Fearless Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a cute miniature mouse with oversized ears, is eventually banished to the sewers, where the rats reside, for failing to learn to become meek and timid in Mouseland. He had done the unconscionable of reading books rather than eating them and making acquaintance with a human - Princess Pea (Emma Watson).

A captive of the rats, he is placed in an arena for sport with a ferocious cat (looking like Garfield in 'roid rage) but rescued by Roscuro (as demonstration of his willingness finally to eat what the others consume).

Taking the mouse as a friend rather than for food, the pair become pals, only to have a falling out when the princess reacts with disgust to Roscuro's attempt to curry favor.

A subplot involves an oafish attendant upon the princess, Miggery Sow (Tracey Ullman), whose fantasy to be a princess makes her a stooge for Roscuro's devious turn of character (for which he will be very sorry in the end). Despereaux alone must save the princess from harm.

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Copyright © 2009 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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