The Tale of Despereaux (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Tale of Despereaux |
|
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Screenplay by | Gary Ross |
| Story by |
|
| Narrated by | Sigourney Weaver |
| Starring | |
| Music by | William Ross |
| Cinematography | Brad Blackbourn |
| Editing by | Mark Solomon |
| Studio |
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 19, 2008 (United States) |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million |
| Money made | $86.9 million |
The Tale of Despereaux is an exciting computer-animated adventure and fantasy film from 2008. It was made in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The movie was directed by Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen. It's based on the popular book The Tale of Despereaux written by Kate DiCamillo in 2003.
The film features the voice of Sigourney Weaver as the narrator. Many famous actors lend their voices to the characters, including Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Watson, and Dustin Hoffman. The amazing animation was created by a company called Framestore.
The Tale of Despereaux was released in the United States on December 19, 2008, by Universal Pictures. It was the second computer-animated movie Universal Pictures released in theaters. The film earned $86.9 million worldwide. It cost about $60 million to make. Critics had mixed feelings about the movie. They often praised the animation and the voice acting. They also liked the main character, Despereaux. However, some felt the story was a bit confusing or not very original.
Contents
The Story of Despereaux
A Kingdom Without Soup
The story begins in the kingdom of Dor, a place famous for its delicious soups. A sailor named Pietro and his rat friend, Roscuro, arrive during "Royal Soup Day." The chief cook, Chef Andre, makes wonderful soup with help from Boldo. Boldo is a magical genie made of food who appears from his cooking pot.
During the royal feast, Roscuro accidentally falls into the Queen's soup. This frightens her so much that she sadly passes away. Everyone in the hall panics, and guards chase Roscuro. He tries to escape the castle but misses Pietro's ship, which has already left. Roscuro falls into a sewer drain and ends up in the castle dungeons. There, he is found by Botticelli, the leader of the many rats living below.
The King is heartbroken by his wife's death. He decides to ban everything related to soup and makes rats illegal. Without its famous soup, Dor becomes a sad and poor place. Chef Andre is not allowed to cook soup anymore, and Boldo stops appearing. The King's daughter, Princess Pea, feels very sad. She wishes her father would open up and bring joy back to the kingdom.
Despereaux's Brave Beginning
In a mouse village, hidden in an old kitchen storage room, a tiny mouse named Despereaux is born. As he grows, it's clear he's different from other mice. He isn't scared or shy; instead, he's brave and curious. This makes the other mice uncomfortable.
His brother, Furlough, tries to teach him how to be a "proper mouse." He takes Despereaux to the royal library to show him how to chew on books. But Despereaux is more interested in reading them! He loves stories about brave knights and princesses who need saving.
One day, Despereaux meets Princess Pea and talks to her. This is against mouse law. He promises to finish a story about a trapped princess and tell her the ending. When Despereaux's parents, Lester and Antoinette, find out he spoke to a human, they turn him over to the mouse council. They do this to avoid getting into trouble themselves.
Banished to the Dungeons
The mouse council banishes Despereaux to the dark dungeons. There, he meets Gregory, the jailer, and starts telling him the princess story. But Gregory stops listening and leaves Despereaux alone. Soon, the rats capture Despereaux and throw him into their arena with a cat.
Just as the cat is about to get him, Roscuro saves Despereaux. Roscuro asks Botticelli to let him "eat" Despereaux instead. Roscuro hasn't been able to get used to living in the sewers. He desperately wants to hear about the outside world. So, Despereaux and Roscuro become friends. Every day, Despereaux tells Roscuro stories about the princess and her sadness.
Roscuro wants to make up for the trouble he caused. He sneaks into Pea's room to apologize. But Pea gets angry and the guards chase him away. Feeling hurt, Roscuro decides to get revenge. He gets help from Miggery "Mig" Sow, Princess Pea's maid. Mig is a bit deaf and dreams of becoming a princess herself. Roscuro convinces her that she can take Pea's place if she kidnaps her. Mig drags Pea to the dungeons. But Roscuro tricks Mig and locks her in a cell.
The Rescue and Happy Ending
Meanwhile, Despereaux discovers that Princess Pea is in danger. He tries to tell the King, but the King is too sad to listen. Despereaux tries to find help elsewhere. He tries to get his family to help, but they are scared of him, thinking he's a ghost. He rings the town bell to show them he's alive.
Chef Andre, tired of the King's law, starts making soup again. The wonderful smell fills the kingdom and brings Boldo back. Despereaux tries to get help from Andre and Boldo. Only Boldo agrees and takes Despereaux back to the dungeons. On their way, rats attack them. Boldo bravely sacrifices himself so Despereaux can reach the arena.
In the arena, Roscuro sees how truly sorry Pea is. He regrets his actions. But an angry Botticelli tells the other rats to attack Pea. Despereaux lets the cat loose, which scares away some rats. He fights off the others as sunlight shines into the rat town. Botticelli captures Despereaux. But Roscuro saves him by reflecting the light at Botticelli. Botticelli falls into the arena. With help from Despereaux, Roscuro, and Pea, Botticelli is trapped in a cage with the cat and defeated.
After all the excitement, Roscuro apologizes to Pea again, and she apologizes too. Mig is reunited with Gregory, who turns out to be her long-lost father! They go back to their farm together. The King finally gets over his sadness. He allows soup and rats back into the kingdom. The mice stop being so scared (though the mouse council isn't happy about it). Roscuro goes back to his life at sea, enjoying the light and gentle breeze. And Despereaux sets off on his own journey to see the world.
Voice Cast
- Matthew Broderick as Despereaux Tilling, the brave mouse who isn't afraid of danger.
- Dustin Hoffman as Chiaroscuro "Roscuro", the rat who used to live at sea.
- Emma Watson as Princess Pea, the human princess who becomes friends with Despereaux.
- Tracey Ullman as Miggeri "Mig" Sow, Princess Pea's servant girl.
- Ciarán Hinds as Botticelli, the leader of the rat world.
- Robbie Coltrane as Gregory, the jailer and Mig's father.
- William H. Macy as Lester Tilling, Despereaux's father.
- Tony Hale as Furlough Tilling, Despereaux's older brother.
- Kevin Kline as Chef Andre, the cook.
- Stanley Tucci as Boldo, Andre's magical soup genie and friend.
- Frank Langella as The Mayor of the mouse world.
- Frances Conroy as Antoinette Tilling, Despereaux's mother.
- Richard Jenkins as The Principal at Despereaux's school.
- Christopher Lloyd as Hovis, the threadmaster in the mouse world.
- Charles Shaughnessy as Pietro, the sailor who Roscuro traveled with.
- Sam Fell as Ned, Mig's uncle and Smudge, a rat.
- Patricia Cullen as Queen
- Bronson Pinchot as The Town Crier
- Sigourney Weaver as The Narrator
Music from the Film
| The Tale of Despereaux: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by
William Ross
|
|
| Released | December 16, 2008 |
| Length | 58:51 |
| Label | Intrada Records |
The music for The Tale of Despereaux was created by William Ross. He recorded the film's score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.
See also
In Spanish: The Tale of Despereaux para niños
