Tags : Movie Review
This story follows Maurice, a goofy streetwise cat, who has the perfect money-making scam. He finds a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe and has his very own horde of rats, who are strangely literate.
Why did I come to this movie again?
Same reason as last week, I’d been wanting to go to a Sundance film, and saw this movie, which looked adorable, on the website, and it was playing at the theater with the recliner chairs!
Oh, and it’s based on a story by Terry Pratchett, one of the most brilliant authors ever.
5 of 5
Characters
In general terms the characters of this film were fun and delightful. Again, this story is originally by Terry Pratchett, so it would take a lot to ruin anything about it.
The rats were hilarious. When they told us where they’d come up with their names I laughed and laughed. Keith is adorable and very down to earth.
Maybe I was in editing mode, and therefore my brain was looking for issues, but I thought they could have done a better job showing Maurice’s true colors and how it was actually hard for him to make a different choice when it mattered. His arc didn’t feel very fleshed out.
The girl, Malicia, was a little over the top for me. It felt like they shoved her in there because the movie wasn’t quite clever enough on its own.
The bad guy was very cool. And creepy. Oh, and the piper was a real piece of work!
4 of 5
Did I care what happened?
I did. Most scenes built on the mystery and conflict of the previous one, which kept the story moving forward. Because I didn’t believe Maurice would abandon his rat buddies, there wasn’t as much tension as there could have been there.
4 of 5
Plot Holes
I don’t remember any plot holes. Nothing pulled me out of the film, which is good.
5 of 5
How many times did I yawn?
The movie only dragged in a few small sections. No yawning.
4 of 5
Cool Factor
In any Terry Pratchett tale, the cool factor is how stinking clever the man is. I loved that the rats were named after things they read on the garbage. Even though I thought Malicia was over the top, she did add to the fractured fairy tale vibe of this story. Each character was distinct and fun. The animation was top notch, and the voices were amazing.
5 of 5
The End
The bad guy was, as I mentioned, very creepy. His demise was both horrifying and satisfying. My only complaint was, once again, that Maurice’s arc felt flat and forced. His shining moment should have been more intense. His decision to put his friends over himself better grounded in his character.
4 of 5
Overall Enjoyment
While I have a few complaints about the film, I did enjoy it. There were a handful of kids in the audience, and they thought it was great. Lots of laughs throughout the movie from everyone, and everyone walked out smiling.
4 of 5
Total: 35
That’s a Brown Belt!
White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40
