I loved it but it would be too scary for 4 year olds.
The Tale of Despereaux
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Touching, beautiful tale is an excellent family film.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships, friendship
updated 11.23.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
The good stuff
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Tale of Despereaux was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that although it's animated, this adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's popular Newbery-winning fantasy about a brave mouse tackles mature themes like longing, grief, loyalty, and hurt. There's nothing worrisome in the story aside from a relatively minor character's sudden heart attack and a few scenes of implied violence (there isn't any blood or guns, though Despereaux has a fascination with swords). But because the story's pacing is slower than most animated films and the themes could be difficult for preschool children to grasp, it may be hard for the family's littlest members to understand what some of the characters are feeling.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about typical fairy-tale adventures. How is this movie similar and different from other fairy tales?
- How many "heroes" are in this story? What makes Despereaux a different kind of hero?
- What messages does that send to people watching his story?
- Kids who are familiar with the book can compare the novel with the film. Did it meet your expectations?
- What changes were made? Did the changes help the movie? Which adaptations of your favorite books do you like, and which were disappointing? Why?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on The Tale of Despereaux
What’s the Story?
This adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's award-winning children's book takes place in three different worlds -- that kingdom of Dor, which is known throughout the world for its special soup cooked by the royal chef; Mouseland, where cute and cowardly mice learn to be afraid; and the dark and exotic dwelling of rats. When a hungry rat named Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) falls into the queen's soup tureen, she has a fatal heart attack. The grieving king banishes rats and outlaws the cooking or eating of soup, thereby stripping his land of all happiness. Meanwhile, in Mouseland, a cute little mouse named Despereaux (Matthew Broderick) doesn't cower like all the other mice and instead seeks adventure. After breaking a cardinal mouse rule by talking to the lonely Princess Pea (Emma Watson), Despereaux is exiled to the rat underworld, where he's saved by Roscuro. And Pea's homely servant Miggory (Tracey Ullman) daydreams of being a princess and escaping her bitter reality. The characters all cross paths in castles, dungeons, kitchens, and rat-land coliseums.
Is It Any Good?
Rarely does an animated film follow traditional fairy-tale conventions without attempting to include as many wink-wink popular culture references as possible. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX is one of a kind, because it's a beautifully animated (there's even animation-within-the-animation) epic that will delight children, tweens, parents, and jaded childless adults alike. There's adventure and fantasy (Boldo, a creature made out of produce and voiced by Stanley Tucci, is one of the most amusing, imaginative screen characters in fairy-tale lore) but also longing and grief (the entire Mig subplot is especially poignant). The result is exactly the kind of film the entire family should treasure.
Writer-producer Gary Ross has crafted an impressive screenplay that's ambitious without being condescending or predictable. DiCamillo's fans should forgive Ross and the directors for changing details to suit the film. If anything, the film should attract more readers ready to follow the more in-depth chronicle of Despereaux, Pea, Mig, and the other magical characters they're introduced to in the memorable movie.
Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures, Directors: Sam Fell, Robert Stevenhagen
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/19/2008, DVD release: 4/7/2009
MPAA Rating: G
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/19/2008, DVD release: 4/7/2009
MPAA Rating: G
Our Members Say
See all 41 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Super movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
not so.......
not so good
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I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
A tied up princess on an arena floor waiting to be eaten by rats doesn't really strike me as kid friendly.
Very dark/gloomy for a kids movie. Having the queen die from fright at having a rat in her soup was bad enough but then our "Good" rat talks the handmaiden into kidnapping the princess. A tied up princess on an arena floor waiting to be eaten by rats doesn't really strike me as kid friendly. Then there's the side conversation of the hand maid being given away by her father only to be sold by her uncle. Now it is a small part of the movie but its there and raises questions for little ones. This was a poor choice for my kids 6 and 7.
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
i say skip it, at least for preschoolers and young elementary kids
i thought this was a fairly boring movie. even the mouse didn't really draw me in. my almost 6 yr. old was frightened but the sword fighting, trying to capture the rat, then the mouse and also the princess being tied up to be eaten. this was not "G" for my and my family. i am fairly selective and don't let them watch too many movies.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
really good!!!
I loved it it was a cute and funny movie good for the whole family
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Great Family Film
Good film with a good message. The movie seemed very disconnected at first, going off on tangents that I deemed unnecessary, but once was used to their style of storytelling I really enjoyed it. A movie all ages can enjoy.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
nice
i liked it... kinda
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
nice
i liked it
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
So Cute!
Really good book, really good movie. I don't think there is really any violence.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Self worth and Self esteem
The only problem with the movie is that the rat just appears on a plate by accident, then the person who just took a bite faints and dies, even when the rat wasn't in it. Overall it's pretty nice and it teaches good self esteem and self worth.
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I rate this title pause for age 7 and give it
Know your kid's threshold
If your kid(s) worry about a character while in peril then you may wish to reconsider this one. A minor character has a heart-attack which leads to endless questions but not concern. One character is over obsessed with being a princess and helps one rat kidnap the real princess. This message might (and probably SHOULD) be questioned. Rats are the villains and portrayed as such they can get a little intense. At one point they tie up the princess and prepare to serve her for supper. At this point my seven year old began crying. He REALLY did not like this scene! He asked us not to buy the movie. He bounced back once the scene was over. Think about your child's reaction to past movies. Some kids may take this in stride, while others not so much. It was a good movie, several sub-plots go on simultaneously which may seem confusing but they all get resolved.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Loved it
Very well done and fun movie my 5 year old loved it as well. It has somthing for the whole family
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
I Hated It!
This movie totally ruins Kate DiCamillo's book: The Tale Of Desperaux. I love the book! I was so disappointed in this movie. I hope that I never watch it again. Sure, if I hadn't read the book it would be okay, but that shouldn't be an excuse for a lousy movie.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
Horrible
The only thing you'll be taking out after this film is a good moral which we all know about.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Sooooo cute!!! Please watch!!!
I really really loved this movie for all the different elements of it. There was action, romance, and a whole bunch of different morals to it. The one that I think was the most important and that everyone should pay attention to is that I doesn't matter who people see you as, it's what you see yourself as that really counts! I would reccomend this book to people ages 6-60! I went to see it with my mum and both of us just loved it! My favourtie character was probably Despereux! He was so cute and his ears were soooo HUGE!!! Please watch this movie, I'm sure you'll love it!
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I rate this title off for age 7 and give it
Walked out halfway through: Not 'G', not for young kids
My children are 3 and 5. After several sword fights where people are gutted, and where the handmaiden picks up a cleaver while contemplating murder, we decided to leave. That said, my friend thought it just great for her kids. Then again, she let her 2 year old and 4 year old watch all of the Star Wars, Indiana Jones series, and Harry Potter. If you are like me, and think that 'G' rated movies should lack profanity, violence and sex, then I would avoid this movie. No profanity or sex, just lots of darkness and violence. The movie was well done, though, ...for older kids.
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I rate this title pause for age 7 and give it
More like Tales of Dark and Disturbed
It is hard to believe this is a G rated film. The film starts with a death, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but might not be the kind of thing that is easy to explain to young children. The film just gets darker from there. The mice throw Despereaux out by tossing him down a well. The rats condemn prisoners to die gladiator style in a ring facing off with a cat. The young maid is sold off by her abusive guardians along with a load of pigs. Some characters trap the princess, tie her up, and attempt to feed her to the rats. It's all very disturbing and not something easy for young kids to understand.
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I rate this title pause for age 7 and give it
My almost six year old left in the middle.
My mother took my child to see Tale of Despereaux with my approval due to it's G ratting, she was so scared at one intense scene she left the movie in the middle and has had several nightmares since. I wish I had been there or had preveiwed it.
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I rate this title pause for age 6 and give it
too slow, too downbeat for young kids
I was enjoying the movie, since it is imaginative and well-made, with compelling and beautifully-realized imaginary worlds for the rats and mice. But even I found it slow, and my 5-year old lost interest not even half-way thru. If you child is a few years older, is captivated by imaginary worlds and has a good attention span, it could be well worth seeing. For children younger than six or even seven, I think it's too dark-themed for too long.
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