Arguably the blandest of the burgeoning crop of big budget digitally animated films, Valiant aims to prove that the death of traditional animation has simply pushed lackluster screenplays into the digital realm.
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08/21/05
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Valiant (2005)
13
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:3
Rotten:21
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Valiant has a good collection of voice talents, but the story is strictly by-the-numbers.
Theatrical Release:2005
Box Office: $19,355,116
Synopsis: From the producer of "Shrek" and "Shrek 2," comes this high-flying computer-animated comedy-adventure tale of a brave-but-undersized pigeon named Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor), who dreams of... [More]
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry
Director: Gary Chapman
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Reviews for Valiant
Top CriticEven though its historical references and battle scenes may fly over their heads like so many homing pigeons, kids will enjoy Valiant, too, if only for its nonstop action and lively visual design.
08/19/05
Top CriticDespite a handful of good aerial 'birdfight' sequences, 'Valiant' fails to get off the ground due to a by-numbers script and dodo-ugly character design that add up to less than one would expect from 'Shrek' producer John H. WilliamsJohn H. William.
08/19/05
Top CriticNot only is the pacing less hyper, the humour less pop-cult savvy and the story almost creakily old-fashioned [than a Pixar production], it even looks like it was made in a cloudier climate: the dominant colours are muted blues and greys.
08/19/05
Top CriticA passable animated feature that will entertain small children, but feels as if it was thrown together quickly.
08/19/05
Top CriticApart from the puns and regurgitation jokes, the story of a group of carrier pigeons on a death-defying mission in 1944 Europe will fly over the heads of actual youngsters.
08/19/05
Top CriticStick to the genuinely delightful Chicken Run -- this one's for the birds.
08/19/05
Top CriticEven young viewers will recognize Valiant as second-tier Disney.
08/19/05
Top CriticIt's tempting then to call this U.S.-British-produced endeavor an odd duck. Except that Valiant uses nearly every pun in the book.
08/19/05
Top CriticThe thought of this motley crew in the recording studio, laying down vocal tracks and cracking each other up, is far more entertaining than anything in the film.
08/19/05
Top CriticToo inoffensive to engender the hostility once reserved for Howard the Duck.
08/18/05
Top CriticAn unconscionably dreary and amateurish-looking thing, and the rote plot and annoyingly predictable script -- a compendium of bird puns, mostly -- don't work nearly hard enough to make up for the hammy awfulness of the images.
08/18/05
Top CriticToo dependent on a knowledge of RAF-inspired cinematic derring-do like '633 Squadron' (or at least Hogan's Heroes) for the average tyke, yet too tepid for their taller counterparts, Valiant is ultimately one strange bird.
08/18/05
Top CriticPoorly plotted, suspense-free film.
08/18/05
Top CriticThe animated feature Valiant, a story about the carrier pigeons that ferried messages from France to England during World War II, takes wing but never quite manages to soar.
08/18/05
Top CriticValiant may not fly in the stratosphere of Pixar or the best of DreamWorks, but giving these plucky birds their due is not a bad way to wind up the summer.
08/18/05
Top CriticA mix of top-notch voice talents, standard computer animation and several missed story opportunities.
08/18/05
Top CriticWhat Valiant does most is give pigeons a break from the nasty 'flying rat' reputation. Aside from that, it's doesn't ruffle any feathers.
08/18/05
Top CriticValiant seems built merely to distract and divert for a brisk hour-and-small-change.
08/18/05
Top Critic[The vocal talents] and some meticulous period details make up for the film's unsurprising plot and occasional tepid stretches.
08/18/05
Top CriticLatest News for Valiant
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