not so good
The Tale of Despereaux
(2008, Rated G, Family and kids, Starring Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson)
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Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
not so.......
- 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 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 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 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 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.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
good attempt at adaptation
This attempt at adapting the complex novel was ok, more time could have been spent on the mature themes instead of skimming over them. A sequel would be good or a longer movie. I do believe the overall values expressed are important for kids to be exposed to. My 5 yr old who loves literature enjoyed it, but his friends that watch power rangers and play video games all day didn't get it.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Well made film
I read the book to my 8 year old before we saw it. It was very different than the book. It was a good movie but a bit slow moving for me and kind of a dark little tale about a mouse. Some younger kids may be bored or disturbed by this film. The rats are creepy and it's not your typical cartoon. I recommend it for 8 years and up. My 8 and 9 year old thought it was okay.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Worst for little kids
I took my children ages 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 to see this movie. It's my fault for not checking more reviews of the movie before seeing it. This movie was morose, scary, depressing for about 90% of the movie. Very scary for younger children and we almost walked out.
- I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Great message on character
I took my two boys (9 and 5) to see this film and they both really enjoyed it. What I liked is that it really focused on telling the story of a little mouse becoming the great mouse that he wants to be (and influincing other characters in the process). Because of that, it relies less on quick, flashy, cut away scenes and more on dialogue. There are a few scarier moments but nothing more than might be in the typical cartoon. Since watching the film I have been able to have several conversations about honesty, courage, chivalry, and persistence with my boys. I appreciated the emphasis on these character traits.
- I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
A good animated film for kids
Just to let parents know, this is really a PG-rated movie in disguise. With that said, some parts of the film might frighten younger children. The movie itself was good. I recommend it for the whole family!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Boring and not very fun
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
Why do they have to do that?!
I read the CS review before going to the theater with my boys (ages 5 and a half and 7 and a half). I felt very confident that the movie held no scary scenes and was age appropriate. Then there was a scene that was unnecessay where the suspense was built up high through spooky music and a very scary skeleton face jumped out. Both of my boys were out of their seats with fear. They both talked of nothing else but this scary scene all the way home. I am disappointed both with the review for not pointing out this scary scene and the movie makers who felt it necessary to throw in such a useless scene. The underlying message of this movie was great about surviving loss and finding meaning out of the trials of life but it was so dark and heavy the message drowned itself out. How about a little levity with all of the pain and suffering of life? They missed out on some great opportunities here and pleeeeease cut out the scary stuff in G rated movies!
- I rate this title off for age 8 and give it
Way Too Dark and Scary for Our Six-Year-Old
The previews led us to expect this would be a light-hearted family movie. Instead, it was about longing, loneliness, and danger. It seemed like the movie characters went through one threatening event after another, and just when you thought things would be getting better, they got worse. The happy ending was too sudden, and not enough of a payoff to reward you for sitting through all that misery. I will say that the animation was amazing and beautifully executed. I was sorry, though, that the story did not match the artistry of the animation. I would not recommend this movie for young children.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Great Family Movie
While on vacation we went to see this movie. It was very good, and my daughter enjoyed hearing the familiar voice of Hermione (Watson). My husband and I also enjoyed it. My 5 year old son was a little scared toward the end, but the promise of a happy ending seemed to reassure him. The side story of Meg is also really nice as it shows that you do not have to be either rich or pretty to be a princess. It also showed it was okay to be different. We will definitely buy the DVD.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Ok, would not see again and would wait for it to come on cable
I took my 8 year old daughter and her friend to see The Tale of Despereaux. They said that they liked it, but appeared bored. Neither of the girls talked about the movie any further after we left the theater. We had also read the book, so the only thing that kept even me interested was comparing the book to the movie - which there are very few similarities. The book was much darker probably why it is so different.
- I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Great movie for kids, but read the book first!
This movie was good, but not the best. If you read the book you would think it was insanely different, but if you didn't you would probably think it was a good movie. I thought it was good. I read the book and loved it! I liked the book better. The only thing that I had a concern with was that the rats were mean to each other a lot. I would recommend it for kids 9 and younger. It was good!
- I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Definitely a must-see and all-time favorite candidate!
My soon-to-be 5-year-old and I went to see this last Saturday. We thoroughly enjoyed the film and all the positive messages about honesty and loyalty. It has a few exciting scenes without being flashy. We have already highly recommended it to our friends and family. You'll do the same after watching it too.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
My review
Should have said ages 5+, sorry.
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- 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 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 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 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 iffy for age 7 and give it
wow.wow.soooo touched.a must see,before or after the book
it is sooooo good.50% is about a rat that has a heart like a mouse(cuz of that rat,rats were banished from the land,mice were ok,but rats were killed instantly if found)and he felt that just becuz of his name,it donsent mean that he is bad. p.s. that rat is not Despereaux!!! 30% is about Despereaux, a mouse who is not a coward(mice were supoosed to be cowards,it was the definition of a mouse),his parents and teacher are worried, and after he speaks wth a human,he is banished from mouseworld(or mouseland). 20% is about a girl whose dad had to give her to someone else(the movie donesnt tell y),but he loved her,and she wanted to be a princess.she kidnapped the princess cuz of her dream.later she is reunited wth her daddy.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
I loved it! A must see!
Great movie, you understand it a little better when you've read the book. I say appropriate for all ages
- I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Not the best movie
If you didn't read the book and now you think you know what its about, you're wrong. The movie and the book were two completly different stories, the only thing they had in common is that there was a mouse, a king, a princess,and a soup loving village. Overall it was not even a good movie, even if there wasn't a book.
