The Tale of Despereaux

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The Tale of Despereaux

G

2008

1h 34m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Once a thriving place of sunshine and delicious soup, the faraway kingdom of Dor has fallen into sadness. An accident leaves the king brokenhearted; the sunshine fades, and the soup disappears Into this world is born Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a book-loving mouse and friend to Princess Pea (Emma Watson). When Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux must find a knight's brave heart within his tiny body and rescue his friend.

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Critics Consensus

Despite its striking visuals, The Tale of Despereaux as a story feels familiar and unimaginative.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Scratch a CGI fairytale and you'll find an allegory about class, particularly if rodents are involved.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jan 9, 2009

Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

While the film's heart is certainly in the right place, and while certain moments exude honest warmth and refreshingly direct truth, on the whole there is nothing about this computer animated epic that remotely sets it apart from the crowd.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 21, 2008

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Linda Barnard

Toronto Star

. The plot is too convoluted and there are too many characters to keep track of.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 19, 2008

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The film contains a certain storybook quality that is quietly appealing, though the story is ultimately flat and uninvolving.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 3, 2024

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The mediocrity of the story is rivaled only by its terribly indistinctive character designs and video game equivalent animation.

Rated: 3/10

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

With so many story threads to weave together, the makers of The Tale of Despereaux can't help getting their plot in a tangle, but Sigourney Weaver's delightfully wry narration prevents things from unravelling completely.

Nov 22, 2020

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Adrian E

Boriiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/27/25

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Tom J

I had high expectations for this movie, and it did not live up to them. There were too many characters with too many different plot lines to the point where you end up not caring about any of them. If you're looking for a movie about a courageous mouse, I would recommend "An American Tale" well over this film.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

Maryssa K

This movie was my favorite as a kid and still probably is. The way it told the story of Despereaux and followed his adventure is spectacular. I would inject this movie into my veins, if it were ever possible. If I could go back in time and watch this again for the first time, I would. This movie brings me joy and whimsy. I become giddy when this movie starts playing. This movie makes me do a little jig like a little lad that is dancing to get the last serving of bread.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

Full Review

Stettafire

The book was fantastic, a really dark fantasy that showed hope in dire situations. The film was a heartless cash grab that bore no resemblance to the book and spoke down to it's audience.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Luke R

The movie was bad, the plot was bad, the characters were bad, everything was bad.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

Iss M

A very beautiful movie with beautiful feelings I recommend

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

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Rob Stevenhagen

Director

Sam Fell

Director

Matthew Broderick

Despereaux

Dustin Hoffman

Roscuro

Emma Watson

Pea

Tracey Ullman

Mig

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Boldo The Brave

3:27

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Fighting the Cat

3:21

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Rat in the Soup

3:31

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Tales of Chivalry

2:47

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Apology Gone Bad

2:08

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Mousetrap Gauntlet

2:08

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Kidnapping the Princess

3:15

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Protecting the Princess

2:40

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Despereaux, The Fearless

2:40

The Tale of Despereaux: Official Clip - Despereaux vs. Botticelli

2:28

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Synopsis

Once a thriving place of sunshine and delicious soup, the faraway kingdom of Dor has fallen into sadness. An accident leaves the king brokenhearted; the sunshine fades, and the soup disappears Into this world is born Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a book-loving mouse and friend to Princess Pea (Emma Watson). When Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux must find a knight's brave heart within his tiny body and rescue his friend.

Director: Rob Stevenhagen, Sam Fell
Producer: Gary Ross, Allison Thomas
Screenwriter: Gary Ross, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Larger Than Life
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 6, 2016
Runtime: 1h 34m

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