Rotten
Where are the real fairy tales -- the ones without the relentless number of jokes aimed at grown-ups?
David Edelstein, Slate
Valiant
Featherweight Heroes.
2005 · 1h 16m · G
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, War
Directed by
Gary Chapman
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Valiant
Overview
Set in 1944, Valiant is a woodland pigeon who wants to become a great hero someday. When he hears they are hiring recruits for the Royal Homing Pigeon Service, he immediately sets out for London. On the way, he meets a smelly but friendly pigeon named Bugsy, who joins him, mainly to get away from clients he cheated in a game of find-the pebble, and helps him sign up for the war.
Director and cast
- Gary Chapman Director
- Ewan McGregor as Valiant (voice)
- Ricky Gervais as Bugsy (voice)
- Tim Curry as Von Talon (voice)
- Jim Broadbent as Sergeant (voice)
- Hugh Laurie as Gutsy (voice)
- John Cleese as Mercury (voice)
- John Hurt as Felix (voice)
- Pip Torrens as Lofty (voice)
- Rik Mayall as Cufflingk (voice)
- Olivia Williams as Victoria (voice)
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
32%
Tomatometer
Rotten
Arguably the blandest of the burgeoning crop of big budget digitally animated films, Valiant aims to prove that the death of traditional animation has simply pushed lackluster screenplays into the digital realm.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Fresh
Even though its historical references and battle scenes may fly over their heads like so many homing pigeons, kids will enjoy Valiant, too, if only for its nonstop action and lively visual design.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Rotten
Despite a handful of good aerial 'birdfight' sequences, 'Valiant' fails to get off the ground due to a by-numbers script and dodo-ugly character design that add up to less than one would expect from 'Shrek' producer John H. WilliamsJohn H. William.
Leslie Felperin, Variety
Rotten
Not only is the pacing less hyper, the humour less pop-cult savvy and the story almost creakily old-fashioned [than a Pixar production], it even looks like it was made in a cloudier climate: the dominant colours are muted blues and greys.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
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