Blu-ray Disc Reviews
The Tale of Despereaux on Blu-ray Disc
By Chris Boylan
2009-04-02 00:12:05

The Film

Despereaux is a little mouse with big ears and an even bigger heart, yearning for a quest. After being banished from Mouseworld for displaying decidedly un-mouselike qualities, our little hero makes it his mission to rescue a poor unhappy princess from a life of drab melancholy. He meets many characters along the way that may help or hinder him (or both), including the worldly rat Roscuro, who helps our little mouse survive in the decidedly unfriendly Ratworld.

The film brings together a power ensemble of voice talent including the likes of Sigourney Weaver (narration), Matthew Broderick (Despereaux), Dustin Hoffman (Roscuro, the rat), Kevin Kline (the royal chef), William H. Macy (Despereaux's dad), Frank Langella (the mayor of Mouseworld) and Emma Watson (Princess Pea). And unlike most animated films, where the actors each record their parts alone in a sound booth without any interaction with other characters, the directors and producers decided to record much of the soundtrack with actors actually in the same room together, not just speaking but physically acting out their parts. And this carries over into the film where the chemistry between certain characters is clear.

The film's theme isn't so different from the traditional kids' movie - outcast hero teams with unlikely allies, overcoming all odds to rescue a damsel in distress - but Despereaux tells the tale with a unique visual style, beautifully animated in a manner quite unlike the usual Disney and Pixar fare, against a backdrop of vivid colors and textures.

I usually use my two kids (currently 3 ½ and 5 years old) as a gauge for family films, and while the younger one lost interest at a few points, the 5 year old was enrapt throughout the film, and talked about it at length over the following days - usually a good sign. The film is certainly not without its flaws: so much plot and so many characters packed in too short a time means that some characters' actions and motivations are not well enough defined. And I wouldn't say it rises to the level of the best recent animated films (Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E), but it does hold its own and should provide a welcome addition to any family's movie library.

For an alternate take, see Joe Lozito's review of The Tale of Despereaux.

The Video

There is little to find fault with in this 1080p VC1-encoded transfer presented here in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Colors are captured well, from the bright blue skies and blue-green ocean waves of the introduction to the more muted tones of the castle and village to the vivid browns and golds of Mouseworld and the dark yet garish reds and blacks of Ratworld. In the bonus features we learn that the film-makers were trying to capture specific painterly styles, from the Vermeer-like Castle setting, to the Hieronymous Bosch-influenced Ratworld, and the video transfer does this justice with nary a compression artifact in sight, good color saturation and very good detail overall.

The Sound

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix captures the energetic score by composer William Ross well. Use of the surrounds is fairly subtle: a "Land Ho" from the rear right channel as a ship approaches the kingdom of Dor, the rattles and clanks of armor and weapons all around us as one of our brave rodents escapes the King's soldiers, and some water drips and other ambient sounds to establish the dreary dankness of Ratworld are a few places where the surround channels are put to good use. Dialog is always clear and intelligible which helps us to follow the characters' sometimes complex motivations.

The Extras

Universal provides some educational and entertaining extras here, including an insightful "Making of" featurette that gives us insight into the goals of the film-makers in taking a beloved (and award-winning) children's book to the screen. A short little segment details the "Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears" using clips from the film as illustrations. Two deleted scenes/songs are included as well as a full-length PiP commentary track and an extended sneak peek at "Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!" But the biggest hit with the kids was a simple but enjoyable "Make Your Own Soup" game that allows you to combine spices to season your own culinary creation and see the king's gustatory reaction to your handiwork (it's not always pretty).

"Scene Progressions" shows the evolution of several key scenes from storyboard to fully illuminated final animation which underscores just how complicated the CG animation process can be.  The disc also includes the ability to make your own virtual greeting card using backdrops and quotes from the movie with Despereaux himself in your choice of heroic poses.  You can then send this to a friend but this e-mail function requires BD-Live which is apparently not yet enabled as we are still a few days away from the Blu-ray Disc's official street date.

Final Thoughts

Like a mouse running loose in a cheese shop, Despereaux bites off a bit more than it can chew. But its unique animation style and refreshingly different take on a common theme should prove enjoyable to most viewers, young and old. Throw in a high quality 1080p transfer and excellent, if understated DTS-HD sound as well as some enjoyable extras and you've got yourself a Blu-ray disc that is worth the price of admission.

Where to Buy

• The Tale of Despereaux on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)
  

Product Details

• Actors: Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Broderick, Tracey Ullman, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Fank Langella, Emma Watson, Ciarán Hinds, Robbie Coltrane, Christopher Lloyd
• Directors: Sam Fell, Robert Stevenhagen
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), DTS 5.1 (English)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: G
• Studio: Universal
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: April 7, 2009
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• List Price: $39.98
• Extras:
• "The Tale of The Tale of Despereaux: A (Mostly) Non-Fictional Making-Of"
• "Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears"
• Sneak Peek of "Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!"
• Scene Progressions
• Deleted Songs (2 songs not used in the film, along with rough story-board animations)
• Make Your Own Soup Game
• Card Creator
• Picture in Picture Bonus View commentary
• BD-Live: My Scenes Sharing and Card Creator Sharing