The Mouse That Soared (2009) User Reviews

Not quite the greatest show in the world. This short animation movie didn't soared high enough for people to notice it.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 11 October 2017]

Ladies and Gentlemen and Children of All Ages! Step right up & listen closely. Witness the review, you have been waiting for! For the show is about to embark! While, this movie is not to be confused with the 1959's Cold War satirical novel/movie of a similar name by Irish American writer Leonard Wibberley; 2009's 'The Mouse that Soared' has beautiful computer animation that was a feast for your eyes to see. The cinematography from David Trappe is breath-taking. The quick-fly around, action is amazing. However, the story is not as beholding and hair-raising as it should had been. The story of a flying circus mouse having to look back to his humble beginning, after a comment was said, about his parents, end way too abruptly. Without spoiling the film, too much; all I want to say, is we, the viewers, never got the fulfilling of an uplifting climax with that, because how short, the story is. Because of that, the movie directed by Kyle Bell & edit by Ed Fuller, comes across, as an uncompleted demo, just there to show off, Portland, OR's own, 'Laika Entertainment' studio's capabilities in making computer animation, rather than a complete independent short film. In many ways, the visual pitch somewhat work for Bell; as big Hollywood film studios like Universal, did put money into projects that Bell, was working on with fellow animator/producer, Travis Knight like 'Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure'. The problem, was; that the cash was mostly going to departments, focus exclusively on stop-motion, rather than computers, as that, was the company, was best known for, with such commercial hits as 'the California Raisins', the Domino's Pizza "Noid", and 'M&M'. Sadly, because of this, by the end of 2009, the company have laid off most of their staff, who work on this film, in the computer department to focus exclusively on stop-motion. Thus, ending the oncoming 'Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure' & any chances of a finish version of 'the Mouse that Soared'. However, it wasn't all, bad, as the film studio did, created, such hits stop-motion films like 2009's 'Coraline', 2012's 'ParaNorman', 2014's 'The Boxtrolls' & 2016's 'Kubo & the Two Strings', in its place. Still, there is a part of me that wants to see, what happen to the computer animation, mouse in the end. Did he reunite with his adopt family? Did he ever, find out, why the birds save his life!? I guess, we will never know. Because of the lack of satisfied ending, the film comes across as too depressing and down-trodden for younger viewers. It didn't help, the movie is full of gruesome imageries too dark for a kid movie like seeing dead corpses of rats after poisoning. Also, watching, a bunch of well-intentioned adoptive songbirds, throw around, a near-death, cover with flies, mouse fetus in a sling-shot, while avoiding giant ass, saw blades & animals trying to eat him, is a bit disturbing, even if it's somewhat funny. So, it was with no surprised, this short film got a limited release in the fall of 2009, with barely anybody seeing it. Despite that, the film did win, a number of independent awards such as first place animation in the USA film festival with critics & academy voters. Yet, it didn't get nowhere in the level of praise that Disney 1934's 'Flying Mouse' or Filmation's version of "Mighty Mouse' in the 1950s, got. After all, this film's visuals isn't as innovative as the others. Nevertheless, 2009's 'the Mouse that Soared' does need to get more viewers, even if the filmmakers doesn't know, the different between a rat and a mouse. It's not an explosion of catastrophe. While, it didn't capture all of the spirit of the performer, the excitement of the crowd, and the passion and emotion of the entire event. It's was a decent 6 minute film with somewhat beautiful visuals & wonderful circus-like score. It's deserve to be shown, more often, than an opening act in a series of short films in a Hollywood movie theatre in the Portland International Airport. I think this movie has potential of being something great. Sadly, 'The Mouse that Soared' isn't flying high. It's flying away. Lost in short, of being nearly forgotten.