Rats > mice.
meaning to put this up, never got around to it.
To be quite honest, I'm not sure what the message was supposed to be here. On the one hand, chivalry and bravery save the day (sort of). On the other hand, if you're not Despereaux, you are probably going to come very close to death and humiliation if you keep to the chivalry and bravery code and try to do anything to improve your lot in life.
Honestly, I hated that little mouse by the end of the movie. He's an idealistic little twit and he never grows out of it or gets a reality check despite the fact that he's either ineffectual or destructive for everything but actually saving the princess (which, to be fair, is the only thing the knights in his books did, and she was indeed the archetypal plot device princess with no brain or characterization of her own). For all that he's the hero, the saving/happiness of everyone else was mostly caused by other people that didn't even know he was there; if Despereaux had actually gotten a bit of real world experience I'd have liked it much better.
Rascuro (sp?) was the fun one, in my opinion. If the movie had been completely about him and his struggles to prove himself and gain forgiveness I'd have enjoyed it far more. But no, we have a shiny-eyed little mouse in there who contributes very little to his actual development as a person.
In conclusion, mediocre with a thoroughly twee and annoyingly ataraxic protagonist but an interesting supporting cast. And a vegetable golem. He was cool.
To be quite honest, I'm not sure what the message was supposed to be here. On the one hand, chivalry and bravery save the day (sort of). On the other hand, if you're not Despereaux, you are probably going to come very close to death and humiliation if you keep to the chivalry and bravery code and try to do anything to improve your lot in life.
Honestly, I hated that little mouse by the end of the movie. He's an idealistic little twit and he never grows out of it or gets a reality check despite the fact that he's either ineffectual or destructive for everything but actually saving the princess (which, to be fair, is the only thing the knights in his books did, and she was indeed the archetypal plot device princess with no brain or characterization of her own). For all that he's the hero, the saving/happiness of everyone else was mostly caused by other people that didn't even know he was there; if Despereaux had actually gotten a bit of real world experience I'd have liked it much better.
Rascuro (sp?) was the fun one, in my opinion. If the movie had been completely about him and his struggles to prove himself and gain forgiveness I'd have enjoyed it far more. But no, we have a shiny-eyed little mouse in there who contributes very little to his actual development as a person.
In conclusion, mediocre with a thoroughly twee and annoyingly ataraxic protagonist but an interesting supporting cast. And a vegetable golem. He was cool.