Valiant (2005) -

Editor's Note From Disney and the producer of SHREK and SHREK II comes this animated feel-good comedy about a small but heroic British homing pigeon during World War II. Though tiny, Valiant (Ewan McGregor) is gutsy, and he yearns to join the Royal Homing Pigeon Service to serve his country during its time of need, hoping to prove that what he lacks in wingspan he makes up for in spirit. Accepted into training, Valiant faces some ribbing by the other members of RHPS and is placed into Squad F, along with a host of other misfit heroes. However, with troops trapped behind enemy lines and a flurry of attacks by enemy falcons (led by General Von Talon, voiced by Tim Curry), it's up to Valiant and his comrades to save the day. Notably, VALIANT is based on a true story, as more than half of all medals awarded to animal war heroes went to homing pigeons. Children will appreciate this heartwarming tale of brains over brawn, and adult viewers will appreciate the film's voice cast, which features a wealth of British stars that also includes Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, and THE OFFICE's Ricky Gervais. Similar to other films that use humor to address the turbulence of war, such as HOPE AND GLORY, TEA WITH MUSSOLINI, and LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, VALIANT provides a classic tale of hope and heroism for all ages.

	Ewan McGregor - Voice Of
	Gary Chapman - Director
	George Fenton - Original Music By
	George Webster - Screenplay
	George Webster, et. al. - Screenplay
	Jim Stewart, et. al. - Editor
	John Byrne - Production Designer
	John Cleese - Voice Of
	John Fenner - Cinematographer
	John H. Williams - Producer
	Neil Braun, et. al. - Executive Producer
	Ricky Gervais - Voice Of
	Tim Curry - Voice Of

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 5 of 10
Valiant is for the birds. 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. Until recently, digital animation had been heads-and-shoulders about its longer-lived counterpart because each film was lovingly crafted with an attention to detail. Over the past year, however, digitally animated films have begun to show an assembly line quality, and Valiant represents a new low. It's not as clever as it thinks it is, not as funny or exciting as it should be, and not as engaging as it needs to be to prevent kids from losing interest and parents from falling asleep. - James Berardinelli

San Francisco Examiner 6 of 10
While Valiant is computer generated, it feels distinctly different from the American-animated films. Much like most British films, many jokes are subtler, though the filmmakers don't shy away from a well-timed gas-passing joke.

But while Pixar's films, such as Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, tell a captivating story that is touching, Valiant is almost a throwaway story.

The animation in the film isn't up to the Pixar level. It is certainly on par with the Shrek franchise, but it's nothing spectacular. What's impressive is the cast of voice actors in the film, which plays out like a best-of British actors parade. Besides, McGregor, Laurie, Gervais, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, John Hurt and Olivia Williams take part in what could possibly be the finest collection of voice actors an animated film has ever seen. - Scott Rosenburg