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The Tale of Despereaux
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 6. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Touching, beautiful tale is an excellent family film.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Tale of Despereaux
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.
Read our full review by Sandie Angulo Chen
Families Can Talk About
- 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?
Our Members Say
See all 40 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
not so.......
not so good
- I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give itMy 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
nice
i liked it... kinda
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
nice
i liked it
- 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.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give itMy 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.
- I rate this title iffy 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- I rate this title iffy 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.
- I rate this title iffy 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.
- I rate this title iffy 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.
- I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Beauty and smarts, this movie has it all
I took my 6-year old son to see this movie. We had been waiting for weeks for the opportunity, and we weren't disappointed. I worried at one point that he may be bored (he is of his generation and his imagination is full of Batman, Power Rangers, Transformers, etc. -- Despereaux is miles away), but he seemed very focused on what was happening on the screen. Having seen it, I would definitely think twice before bringing a younger child. It is not a joyous movie, to say the least. A lot of it is dark and heavy, but the story, the script, the animation... everything is so beautiful and worhtwhile. The dialogue and narration are great, and the characters are very real: like Roscuro and Miggery, and in a different way, the King and the Princess, we all have moments when we let ourselves go and take out our frustrations on others, and do things we come to regret. It is important to know that we can come back from that, and give and seek forgiveness. May we all have little Despereaux around who can come to our rescue and show us the way to Honor, Honesty and Truthfulness.
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