The Littles, a very nice family, adopt a mouse called Stuart as their son, but he has trouble fitting in because he's not human and the family cat doesn't like him. Things are looking up after Stuart wins a miniature boat race in Central Park, but then the neighbourhood cats hatch a plot to get rid of him ...
This is a very charming Little movie, based on a book by E.B. White, with a wonderful subtext about looking beyond differences in each other. The cast, both physical and voice-only, embrace the material with relish. Davis & Laurie make for a wonderful oddball couple, Polito has a hilarious bit as a trenchcoated copper and Palminteri is terrifically sinister as the voice of a tough alleycat. The special effects for Stuart and the cats by John Dykstra are great, as is the score by Alan Silvestri, and the film has a wonderful modern-day fairy-tale look through clever use of design, wardrobe and matte work. My only gripe is, like the Littles, this film is maybe just a bit too nice, (despite being co-scripted by the very spooky M. Night Shyamalan); I would have liked a few less schmaltzy scenes and a few more scary ones. Nevertheless this is a lovely, funny, extremely entertaining adventure for everyone.
This is a very charming Little movie, based on a book by E.B. White, with a wonderful subtext about looking beyond differences in each other. The cast, both physical and voice-only, embrace the material with relish. Davis & Laurie make for a wonderful oddball couple, Polito has a hilarious bit as a trenchcoated copper and Palminteri is terrifically sinister as the voice of a tough alleycat. The special effects for Stuart and the cats by John Dykstra are great, as is the score by Alan Silvestri, and the film has a wonderful modern-day fairy-tale look through clever use of design, wardrobe and matte work. My only gripe is, like the Littles, this film is maybe just a bit too nice, (despite being co-scripted by the very spooky M. Night Shyamalan); I would have liked a few less schmaltzy scenes and a few more scary ones. Nevertheless this is a lovely, funny, extremely entertaining adventure for everyone.