IMDb > The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
The Tale of Despereaux
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The Tale of Despereaux (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 65 | slideshow) Videos (see all 33 NEW)
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- The Tale of Despereaux - Theatrical Trailer
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Clip: Despereaux tries to tell Chef Andre about the Princess' capture
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Behind the scenes: Tracey Ullman makes noises in the studio
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Interview: Sigourney Weaver "On the what the film has to offer"
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) -- Trailer: Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is determined to rescue his beloved princess.

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   5,783 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Kate DiCamillo (book)
Will McRobb (screen story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Tale of Despereaux on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 December 2008 (USA) more
Tagline:
Small Hero. Big Heart. more
Plot:
The tale of three unlikely heroes - a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears - whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle's princess. | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(82 articles)
Gary Ross to Direct Matt Helm Before Venom
 (From ReelzChannel. 13 October 2009, 4:24 AM, PDT)

Gary Ross Working on Venom
 (From movies.about.com. 8 October 2009, 6:40 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Lovely, kind-hearted film that doesn't pander more (80 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Despereaux - Un pequeño gran héroe (Argentina) (Peru) [es]
A Lenda de Despereaux (Portugal) [pt]
Cincin lovag (Hungary) [hu]
Despereaux - Der kleine Mäuseheld (Germany) [de]
Despero (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Desperon taru (Finland) [fi]
Dzielny Despero (Poland) (poster title) [pl]
El valiente Despereaux (Spain) [es]
Eventyret om Despero (Denmark) [da]
I istoria tou Despereaux (Greece) [el]
La avventure del topino Desperaux (Italy) [it]
La légende de Despereaux (France) [fr]
Lugu hiirest nimega Despereaux (Estonia) [et]
O Corajoso Ratinho Despereaux (Brazil) [pt]
Príbeh o Zoufálkovi (Czech Republic) [cs]
Prica o misu zvanom Despero (Croatia) [hr]
Sagan om Despereaux (Sweden) [sv]
more
Runtime:
93 min | 90 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS
Certification:
USA:G (certificate #44910) | UK:U | Ireland:G | Australia:G | Portugal:M/4 (dubbed version) | Portugal:M/6 (original version) | Norway:7 | Czech Republic:U | Portugal:M/6 (subtitled version) | Finland:K-7 | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Singapore:G | South Korea:All | Netherlands:6 | New Zealand:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Hong Kong:I | South Africa:PG | Greece:K | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Brazil:Livre | Mexico:A | Sweden:7 | Germany:6 (w)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Sylvain Chomet was originally set to direct before being dismissed by the production company, to be replaced with Sam Fell. Chomet stated his ideas were too dark for them, and that marketing would question his character designs with future merchandising in mind. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Despereux is about to be dropped into the rat dungeon, he has red string wrapped around his waist. The camera cuts away to show the dungeon, and when it comes back to see Despereux, the red string is missing. more
Quotes:
Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a brave, little mouse who loved honor and justice and always told the truth.
[Camera zooms in and we see a rat named Roscuro]
Narrator: No, that's not him. That's a rat. And anyone who knows anything, knows there is a big difference between a mouse and a rat. First of all, rats hate the light.
[Roscuro climbs on a barrel and looks at the sun]
Narrator: They spend their lives in the darkness. Also terrify the people which is why they're slinking and cover all the time.
[Roscuro goes to near of a sailor]
Narrator: And as far as telling the truth as concerned, well, that is impossible, because as everyone knows a rat can't talk.
[Roscuro starts to talk]
Roscuro: Tell me that thing again, please.
Pietro: Come on!
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
References Dumbo (1941) more

FAQ

What is the name of the lute music played by the King?
Is "The Tale of Despereaux" based on a book?
What was that vegetable thingie in the kitchen?
more
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Lovely, kind-hearted film that doesn't pander, 18 January 2009
8/10
Author: ldarroch from Canada

I'd be hard pressed to name a kid's flick I've seen in the last four years that can't be summed up by "a quest to find his true self." For once, the hero knows who he is, and lives by this truth rather than learning to define himself along the journey. It was refreshing to see a slightly less-linear film aimed at the under-10 crowd. There were at least 3-4 narratives to follow (mouse, rat, servant girl, and to a lesser extent, the royal family). The notion that one's actions and attitude can greatly affect those around you, in unexpected ways with surprising consequences, was a lovely lesson to learn, rather than the rote "value of friendship" moral. I don't quite get the Ratatouille comparisons, frankly. OK, the heroes are both rodents. And there is a chef. This film reminded me more of Big Fish, The Princess Bride, and Pushing Daisies with its small themes and seemingly meandering narrative, that all comes nicely at the end. And yes, the film was utterly beautiful.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
My poor daughter toughed it out as long as she could... Brooke123
Well... I liked it renardazur
What in the holy hell was up with the veggie demon? kindigth
Poor Man's Flushed Away and Ratatouille pinkylulu
The book is an easy AWESOME read, not like this movie. Topphotomom
My review fishwormflats
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