DUSTIN HOFFMAN - MOVIE REVIEWS THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX

MOVIE REVIEWS THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX

The computer-animated feature The Tale of Despereaux , voiced by Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick, came in at the lower end of expectations with $10.5 million, to capture what there was of the family audience. The film had received mostly so-so reviews from major critics, including the New York Times 's Manohla Dargis, who called it a "pleasantly immersive, beautifully animated, occasionally sleepy tale." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times , while remarking that it "is one of the most beautifully drawn animated films I've ever seen," said that he was "not quite so thrilled by the story." Claudia Puig in USA Today e choed those sentiments, writing, "The animation is handsomely rendered, but the story ... meanders." In the Los Angeles Times, Sheri Linden wrote, "The focus on hurt and anger is admirable, but Gary Ross' script too often feels like a clunky lesson in character motivation." But Kyle Smith in the New York Post appeared quite taken with the tale, which he said, "stands out among recent animated features for its lack of jokiness ... its stately air, its timelessness, its bruised souls and damaged hopes. ... It works like a beloved fairy tale."

22/12/2008