Product Description
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Once upon a time... in the far away kingdom of Dor... lived a
brave and virtuous mouse with comically oversized ears who dreamt
of becoming a knight. Banished from his home for having such
lofty ambitions, Despereaux sets off on an amazing adventure with
his good-hearted rat friend Roscuro, who leads him, at long last,
on a very noble quest to rescue an endangered princess and save
an entire kingdom from darkness. Based on the heartwarming
children's bestselling book and featuring the voice talents of an
all-star cast, The Tale of Despereaux is a magical, modern
fairytale that's destined to win the hearts of young and old
alike.
Bonus Content:
* Sneak Peek of Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!
* The Tale of The Tale of Despereaux: A (Mostly) Non-Fictional
Making-Of
* Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears
* Interactive of the Kingdom of Dor
* Despereaux's Quest Game
* Build-A-Boldo Game
* DVD-ROM - Card Creator, Fairy Tale Fantasy, Coloring Pages,
Wallpapers, Screensaver
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The Tale of Despereaux looks a little like Shrek. The
storytelling and animation draw on everything from Ratatouille
and classic fairytales to Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Indiana
Jones, and, in its action sequences, even Bourne and Bond. But
this movie stands on its own; too dark and violent for very young
children, perhaps, but for the most part it’s exciting and funny,
and it delivers a message about bravery and forgiveness that is
relevant to us all. Voiced by Matthew Broderick, the title
character is a little guy, even by mouse standards, with enormous
ears and an imagination to match; much to the dismay of his
elders, he "never cowers, won’t scurry, and refuses to be taught
to be ed" (he’d much rather read a book than eat it, a
pursuit that fills his head with visions of valiant knights,
damsels in distress, and a life defined by "courage, honor, and
decency"). That leads to his being banished from Mouseworld to
the realm of the rats, where, it is presumed, he will be eaten.
But no. Ratworld--a dark, chaotic, genuinely y place--happens
to be the current residence of one Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), a
peaceful sort whose shenanigans in the human world have
accidentally led to the death of the Queen, the imprisonment of
the Princess (Emma Watson), and, worst of all, the banning of
Soup Day (no small deal) and the end of soup itself! Roscuro and
Despereaux join forces, inadvertently helped out by a homely but
soft-hearted farm girl named Miggery Sow (Tracey Ullman), and,
well, you can imagine how it all turns out. Directors Sam Fell
and Robert Stevenhagen and scriptwriter Gary Ross (adapting Kate
DiCamillo’s book) have concocted some vivid and interesting
worlds for their film; the look is unusual, often washed out,
muted, and bathed in hazy light; and the voice acting is
excellent (others include William H. Macy, Kevin Kline, Stanley
Tucci, and Frank Langella). All in all, despite a conclusion
that’s confusing even while it’s predictable, The Tale of
Despereaux is a worthy addition to the crowded animation field.
--Sam Graham
Printable Coloring Page, & Despereaux ears from The Tale of
Despereaux (Click for full size)
Coloring Page
( https://images-na.ssl-images-.com/images/G/01/dvd/Universal/Despereaux/ColoringPage.jpg )
Maze
( https://images-na.ssl-images-.com/images/G/01/dvd/Universal/Despereaux/Maze.jpg )
Despereaux Ears
( https://images-na.ssl-images-.com/images/G/01/dvd/Universal/Despereaux/Ears.jpg )
Stills from The Tale of Despereaux (Click for larger image)