Stuart Little
in his little motor.
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Despite the
bizarre premise - "Stuart Little" (2000) was a kids' film full of
warmth and wit - all bound together with some terrific special effects.
Danny Graydon
This formula
is repeated to impressive effect in the inevitable sequel.
The plot
It's two years on, and Stuart (again perfectly voiced by Michael
J Fox) is feeling down.
He's feeling left out from brother George's (Lipnicki) life, his
mother (Davis) is being overprotective, and new baby Martha is getting
all the attention.
An ideal time,
then, for romance to enter his life when an injured bird, Margalo
(Griffith), lands in his car. She's soon kidnapped by a villainous
falcon (Woods), though, forcing Stuart to mount a rescue bid, with
bitchy cat Snowball (Lane) along for the ride.
The verdict
While
the Littles' "Gee Whillikers!" home life may dilute the experience
for cynical adults, the target audience will be more than satisfied
with this new adventure.
The best moments feature Stuart travelling through the city in his
various vehicles, while the first film's impressive CG animation
is actually bettered here.
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| It must
be so tempting as a cat to have Stuart for tea. |
Of particular
note are the falcon sequences, offering documentary-style camera
work or a thrilling aerial dive sequence that apes the aerial bomb
POV shot from "Pearl Harbor".
The humans on
show (Davis, Laurie, Lipnicki) provide good support, but are effortlessly
upstaged by some classy vocal performances (take a bow, James Woods).
The only shame is the limited screen time given to Nathan Lane's
one-liner-stocked Snowball and Steve Zahn's Monty (meriting a mere
cameo).
The entire production
is fabulously and vividly rendered, resulting in an enjoyable romp
that will please kids whilst charming amenable adults. 
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