A cornucopia of British character actors enliven this flashback to the war movies of yesteryear.
Valiant (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:106
Fresh:33
Rotten:73
Average Rating: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... 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 joining the elite Royal Homing Pigeon Service (RHPS), and serving crown and country during World War II. Despite his small stature, Valiant’s ambitions are enormous as he keeps a stiff upper beak and endures rigorous training in preparation for a dangerous mission to deliver vital messages to troops behind enemy lines. With a shortage of wingpower in the royal fleet due to increased attacks by a brigade of vicious enemy falcons (led by the ruthless General Von Talon), the mission falls to Valiant and the unlikely heroes of "Squad F" to try and save the day. With a wing and a prayer, Valiant and his fine feathered pals fly into harm’s way and prove that it’s not the size of the wingspan that counts, but the size of the spirit. Filled with adventure, comedy and memorable characters, "Valiant" delivers great entertainment for audiences of all ages. John Cleese, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, and an all-star vocal cast of British favorites also add to the fun and excitement of this imaginative feature. The film was inspired by the fact that pigeons saved thousands of lives during the war, and 31 of the 53 top honors given to animal heroes went to pigeons. [More]
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, John Hurt, Rik Mayall, Olivia Williams, Pip Torrens, Jonathan Ross
Director: Gary Chapman
Director: Gary Chapman
Producer: John H. Williams
Screenwriter: Jordan Katz
Composer: George Fenton
Screenwriter: George Webster, George Melrod
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
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Reviews for Valiant
Doomed by its script to a sort of tedious mediocrity, this pigeon's as dead as a dodo.
This movie's aesthetics seem governed by its bottom line: The CG is on the rubbery side, and the backdrops are jarringly 2-D. But Valiant isn't so hard to look at -- it's hard to listen to.
modern kids won’t get any of the World War II references, and to be honest, the rest of the adventure is mediocre at best.
Will engage your little ones minimally while in the theaters but will leave them without any desire to get the DVD later in order to see it again.
...Serves its purpose as end-of-the-summer entertainment for the young ones...it will likely be viewed once and forgotten in favor of other films with better repeat value.
not a laugh riot, but it is an amusing and sweet diversion with a dash of dry wit and the courage of its convictions
Of all the animals to be immortalised by cartoons, there are few less fluffy and endearing than the pigeon.
The soundtrack is good too - it only has a few songs but it uses them in interesting ways and also features the sight of an all-pigeon Mis-teeq performing Shoo-Shoo Baby at the end.
A disarmingly enjoyable movie with a lively cast of characters and an action-packed plot based (very roughly!) on real-life events
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