Valiant is sadly boring, and while its rote mechanics may function nominally on children, it's going to be a long 76 minutes for the adults.
Valiant (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:106
Fresh:33
Rotten:73
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Valiant has a good collection of voice talents, but the story is strictly by-the-numbers.
Theatrical Release:25-03-2005
Synopsis: From the producer of "Shrek" and "Shrek 2," comes this high-flying computer-animated comedy-adventure tale of a brave-but-undersized pigeon named Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor), who dreams of... From the producer of "Shrek" and "Shrek 2," comes this high-flying computer-animated comedy-adventure tale of a brave-but-undersized pigeon named Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor), who dreams of joining the elite Royal Homing Pigeon Service (RHPS), and serving crown and country during World War II. Despite his small stature, Valiant’s ambitions are enormous as he keeps a stiff upper beak and endures rigorous training in preparation for a dangerous mission to deliver vital messages to troops behind enemy lines. With a shortage of wingpower in the royal fleet due to increased attacks by a brigade of vicious enemy falcons (led by the ruthless General Von Talon), the mission falls to Valiant and the unlikely heroes of "Squad F" to try and save the day. With a wing and a prayer, Valiant and his fine feathered pals fly into harm’s way and prove that it’s not the size of the wingspan that counts, but the size of the spirit. Filled with adventure, comedy and memorable characters, "Valiant" delivers great entertainment for audiences of all ages. John Cleese, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, and an all-star vocal cast of British favorites also add to the fun and excitement of this imaginative feature. The film was inspired by the fact that pigeons saved thousands of lives during the war, and 31 of the 53 top honors given to animal heroes went to pigeons. [More]
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, John Hurt, Rik Mayall, Olivia Williams, Pip Torrens, Jonathan Ross
Director: Gary Chapman
Director: Gary Chapman
Producer: John H. Williams
Screenwriter: Jordan Katz
Composer: George Fenton
Screenwriter: George Webster, George Melrod
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Reviews for Valiant
Lightweight and easily forgotten about once it's over. While it last, though, it is congenial and pleasingly innocuous.
Too inoffensive to engender the hostility once reserved for Howard the Duck.
An unconscionably dreary and amateurish-looking thing, and the rote plot and annoyingly predictable script -- a compendium of bird puns, mostly -- don't work nearly hard enough to make up for the hammy awfulness of the images.
The presence of A-list British vocal talent... work wonders to make the film seem better than it really is.
[E]xactly as cozily silly and as charmingly touching as you'd expect from a nation that gives medals of valor to birds.
Too dependent on a knowledge of RAF-inspired cinematic derring-do like '633 Squadron' (or at least Hogan's Heroes) for the average tyke, yet too tepid for their taller counterparts, Valiant is ultimately one strange bird.
Valiant isn't up to the computer-animation standards of Pixar (Finding Nemo) or even Dreamworks (Madagascar).
The animated feature Valiant, a story about the carrier pigeons that ferried messages from France to England during World War II, takes wing but never quite manages to soar.
Valiant may not fly in the stratosphere of Pixar or the best of DreamWorks, but giving these plucky birds their due is not a bad way to wind up the summer.
Unlike the terrific claymation film Chicken Run (2000), here the jokes largely lay eggs.
A mix of top-notch voice talents, standard computer animation and several missed story opportunities.
What Valiant does most is give pigeons a break from the nasty 'flying rat' reputation. Aside from that, it's doesn't ruffle any feathers.
the animated tale of misfit recruits accomplishing a heroic mission lacks an integral component - humor.
Like its title character, this little animated film has heart and charm. What it will have trouble finding is an audience to appreciate it.
The script is typical family-flick underachievement, with feeble puns and other stabs at birdie personification.
Valiant seems built merely to distract and divert for a brisk hour-and-small-change.
[The vocal talents] and some meticulous period details make up for the film's unsurprising plot and occasional tepid stretches.
It’s not at all clear which audience director Gary Chapman has his eye on.
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