Stuart Little 2
a short review by Jeffrey Overstreet
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In the world of American children’s entertainment, the perspective seems to be “They’re just kids. They’ll eat anything.”
Stuart Little 2 treats children as if they might deserve something better. It’s a well-crafted, visually delightful family movie that successfully avoids most of the common family-movie mistakes.
Shrugging off the expectation that sequels be ten-times bigger and noisier than their predecessor, Stuart Little 2 tells a simple story, and it tells it well, with emotion, invention, clever humor, and memorable characterization. The storytellers understand that a story isn’t good enough for kids if it isn’t good enough for grownups. And they avoid the insulting, unnecessary sexual innuendo and pop culture references that crowd so many “family movies.” They take this far-fetched fiction very seriously, and thus they cultivate some surprisingly emotional moments with engaging characters.
Watching Stuart, I am continually reminded of Kermit the Frog… how sometimes Jim Henson could get us to really feel for the little guy in a big confusing world. The chemistry between Stuart (voiced tenderly by Michael J. Fox) and his new feathered friend Margalo (voiced by Melanie Griffith) is more romantic and believable than any man/woman romance I’ve seen onscreen for a good long while.
I must also point out one subtle difference between the Stuart movies and others. The characters do not feel the need to yell. Most kids movies have characters that distrust the audience’s attention, so they yell, scream, and speak in shrill frantic tones. Stuart speaks quietly, and thus he draws us in.
The animation is just gorgeous. Stuart is a remarkably convincing CGI invention, integrated seamlessly with the real world, even better than some of the characters in the recent Star Wars prequels.
It’s nice to see Geena Davis again; she’s such a delightful actress, seen far too rarely. But here, the costumers seem determined to remind viewers just how sexy she can be. Her tight-fitting dresses seem a rather obvious bid to hold the attention of the men in the audience.
That’s a small complaint. This is a very successful little movie that parents need not hesitate in attending with their children. Sure, the Littles are a bit disconcertingly straight-laced and naive, but their love for their family is admirable and glowing, and the film never treats that with any degree of cynicism. As long as that continues, Stuart will be a worthwhile franchise.