53
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIt is a joy to look at frame by frame, and it would be worth getting the Blu-ray to do that. I am not quite so thrilled by the story, which at times threatens to make "Gormenghast" seem straightforward.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliWhile the voice acting is fine and the story is nicely paced, the visuals are disappointing.
- 63Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsI admired the craft more than I loved the results. But The Tales of Despereaux is still better-than-average animation.
- 63Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaThe tiny, intrepid rodent is so cute it's impossible not to ooh and aww, just looking at him. Which is a good thing, because you'll need something to get you through the long stretches of fairytale pastiche that make up this overwrought yarn.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe flatly generic results certainly appear at odds with the picture's stirring visual style, which pays homage to the great Flemish artists.
- 60EmpireEmpireWhile it meanders on its way to the requisite happy ending, the lush, stylised animation and courtly flourishes would win over anyone.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyToo bad the story's such a mess.
- 50VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangThis graphically well-rendered kidpic is less crass and mouthy than many recent feature-length toons, but also more sluggish and ungainly as it tries to approximate DiCamillo's singularly delicate tone.
- 30Village VoiceVillage VoiceClumsily wedged in like a TV commercial between deafening stunts, the emotional storytelling sinks without trace, leaving you with only one flawed character to cling to.
- 30Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenThe lesson learned from The Tale of Despereaux is that an overabundance of vocal talent does not a good cartoon make.