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Movies / On DVD / The Tale of Despereaux
The Tale of Despereaux

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The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

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Reviews Counted:11

Fresh:10

Rotten:1

Average Rating:6.4/10

Consensus: Despite its striking visuals, The Tale of Despereaux as a story feels familiar and unimaginative.

Rated: G

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Dec 19, 2008 Wide

Box Office: $50,818,750

Synopsis: Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of mouth-watering soup. But a terrible accident left the king broken-hearted, the... Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of mouth-watering soup. But a terrible accident left the king broken-hearted, the princess filled with longing and the townsfolk despondent. All hope was lost in a land where sunlight disappeared and the world became dreary gray. Until Despereaux Tilling was born... A brave and virtuous mouse, Despereaux is simply too big for his small world. Though tiny, wheezy and saddled with comically oversized ears, Despereaux refuses to live a life of weakness and fear...believing he was destined to be celebrated in the tales of chivalry he so adores. When he's banished from his home for not following the rules that society expects of a mouse, Despereaux befriends fellow outcast Roscuro, a good-hearted rat who can't bear to look in the mirror and hopes to live far from the grim underground of his kind. While Despereaux begins his noble quest to rescue Pea--a princess who can't see beyond her distorted view of the world--his pal Roscuro receives a painful rejection from her highness that sets him on a course of self-destruction. Along their parallel adventures, the two encounter colorful characters from a serving girl who wishes to be a princess to the evil leader of the sewer rats, who plots revenge on humans from his fiefdom in the subterranean shadows he relishes but Roscuro can't abide. From the highest turrets of the glittering castle to the dankest dark of Dor's sewers, friendships will be tested as Despereaux and Roscuro embark upon a journey that will change the way they look at their world--and themselves--forever. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness and redemption, one tiny creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show that what you look like doesn't equal what you are. --© Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, William H. Macy, James Nesbitt, Tracey Ullman, Sigourney Weaver, Frances Conroy, Tony Hale, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Lloyd, Stanley Tucci, Emma Watson

Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen

Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen
Screenwriter: Gary Ross, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Producer: Gary Ross, Allison Thomas
Composer: William Ross
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Release:

Apr 7, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region [unknown]
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • English, SDH, French, Spanish
  • French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Additional Release Material:

  • Build-A-Boldo Game
  • Despereaux's Quest Game
  • DVD-ROM - Card Creator, Fairy Tale Fantasy, Coloring Pages, Wallpapers, Screensaver

Featuette:

  • 1. Sneak Peek of Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!
  • 2. The Tale of The Tale of Despereaux: A (Mostly) Non-Fictional Making-Of
  • 3. Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears
  • Interactive Features
  • Interactive Map of the Kingdom of Dor
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Tale of Despereaux

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1 - 3 (sorted by date)
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Extras on the disc include a featurette on the making of the film, an interactive map of the Kingdom of Dor, and a little featurette on the 'top ten uses for oversized ears.'

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
04/08/09
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Like the title character in the story it tells, The Tale of Despereaux is a noble effort that more or less manages to create a kind of instantly likable post-modern fable

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
04/05/09
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters

The Tale of Despereaux is actually the tale of Despereaux and several other characters and the whole mish-mash becomes too top-heavy for its own good.

Full Review Source: DVDSleuth.com | comment Comment
03/28/09
Mike Long
Mike Long
DVDSleuth.com
 
 
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