Seen on: December 19, 2008

The players: Directors: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen, Writers: Gary Ross, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi, Voice cast: Matthew Broderick, Tracey Ullman, Emma Watson, Tony Hale, Frances Conroy

Facts of interest: Based on the book by Kate DiCamillo.

The plot: Despereaux is a coureagous little mouse who is ordered to enter the scary Ratland, where he embarks on an adventure to save an entire kingdom.

Our thoughts: I found it nearly impossible to sit through “The Tale of Despereaux” without repeatedly checking the time. The big-screen adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s beloved book could and should have been an energetic and touching family adventure, but instead, it’s nothing but a lifeless, simplistic bore that falls flat both in terms of story and characters.

The film kicks off in the great kingdom of Dor, where the biggest celebration is the cherished Soup Day, a festivity during which the King’s personal chef unveils his latest recipe and everybody gets a taste. Only this year, the happiness surrounding the event quickly dissipates when a clumsy rat accidentally lands in the Queen’s soup, causing her to die from an immediate shock.

Grieving the tragic loss of his wife, the King now decides to ban both soup and rats for eternity, a desperate action that thrusts the kingdom into a state of permanent sadness. But not all is lost, for hope soon arrives with Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a young, courageous mouse who has huge ears, fears absolutely nothing, and is always on the lookout for a new adventure.

This is as far as I’ll go with my summary, because I certainly don’t want to spoil what little is left of this overall unimaginative story line. I’m sure “The Tale of Despereaux” is quite enjoyable on paper, but as far as this film version is concerned, I cannot help but describing it as a disappointing project that lacks suspense, surprises and decent storytelling.

The plot rarely switches gears, which means we’re stuck with the film’s slow pace from start to finish. Despereaux’s trip to the dangerous Ratworld and his attempt to spread happiness are hardly worth getting excited about, and the characters we encounter along the way remain empty and forgettable throughout. The atmosphere in this movie is never really captivating, and I’d be surprised if younger audiences didn’t lose interest in the whole thing early on.

The film also comes with a narration by Sigourney Weaver, but her constant moral observations are more annoying than helpful. I certainly won’t dispute the truth of what she has to say, but her words are quite simply misplaced and unnecessary. On a more positive side, the film boasts an excellent animation when it comes to the rats and mice. I’m wondering what went wrong with the creation of the humans though, because they just look like emotionless puppets.

Freaky quote: “I am a gentleman." – Matthew Broderick

The final word: “The Tale of Despereaux” made me really nervous, primarily because I didn’t want to abandon the hope that the film may improve after a while. But that’s not what happened, and instead of keeping me entertained, all it did was make me sleepy. Save the trip to the cinema and watch “Ratatouille” instead. You’ll be getting a whole lot more fun out of it.

Article by Franck Tabouring