Stuart Little 2

Some cartoons, even those aimed primarily at children, are still well worth seeing for adults. I was hoping Stuart Little 2 would be one of those, but it falls just a little short of the mark. It's cute, and it's funny enough to have kept me from turning it off, but it's a kid's movie all the way. If you're a parent who wants to watch something with your kid this is a good choice because it's fairly entertaining, but I wouldn't recommend it to adults without kids. But it's darn cute.

Stuart Little 2 is a masterpiece. Where else can you watch a young mouse come of age in New York City? Where else can you watch the relationship between mouse and bird blossom against the backdrop of a perilous tale of betrayal? Where else can you find a story of family ties that transcend the categories of humans and animals? Nowhere else. Stuart Little 2 is a unique experience and to rate it any less than 8/10 is criminal.

'Stuart Little 2' is a nice and sweet sequel with the same charms as the first movie. The mouse Stuart (voice by Michael J. Fox) has an adventure in the big city together with the house cat Snowbell (voice by Nathan Lane) because the bird he loves (voice by Melanie Griffiths) is taken by Falcon (James Woods). Of course the family Little (with Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and son George played by Jonathan Lipnicki) is looking for Stuart.

A movie like this is allowed to be predictable. You know it will end happy and that is the way it should end. A movie like this needs some charming, sweet and funny moments and 'Stuart Little 2' has those moments. Every moment between Margalo the bird and Stuart is sweet and charming and especially the moments with the real characters are sometimes very funny. Another nice thing is the creation of the mouse and bird itself. Since Stuart or Margalo is in almost every scene in the movie there is always something nice to look at. This is a perfect movie for the whole family.

Stuart Little 2 is one of those children's films that appeals to both the children and those who must pay the ticket price. I thought those kinds of films only existed with the name "Pixar" stamped on them or the occasional "Dreamworks." The film largely compiles odds and ends from the first film to try and lift the sequel off its feet but its sweet, good-natured charisma and kinetic warmth make the seventy-eight minute endeavor worth it.

The "Little" family are still happy, vibrant, and warm in their quest to give their new mouse sibling, Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox) a home he can be proud of. Yet the mother (Geena Davis) still worries that Stuart's small stature gives him the unfair advantage in sports and life itself, while the father (Hugh Laurie) is more of an optimist and feels that if a Little applies himself, he can be quite the character.

The main themes Stuart Little 2 tries to explore, however, are not about doing anything you want to do and proving that being small isn't a limitation but a welcomed challenge, like the first film, but more about siblings that drift away from each other. Stuart's older brother, George (Jonathan Lipnicki) is beginning to spend more time with his friends rather than Stuart, and while this is a natural part of life, it is nonetheless heartbreaking to the mouse himself, who begins to view himself as just a pest (no pun intended).

Stuart begins to befriend a small yellow canary named Margalo (Melanie Griffith), who he rescued after seeing her being pursued by an ominous falcon in the sky. It turns out, Margalo is in cahoots with the falcon to steal valuables from homes all across New York City, but little Margalo keeps that secret away from Stuart when she discovers how kind and gentle he really is.

Stuart Little 2 isn't particularly compelling or a very life-affirming film, but it's a genial, warm picture, with great computer effects, wonderful yet subtle themes on sibling relationships, and a plethora of jokes that kids and adults will find pleasing and joyful.

Starring: Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, and Jonathan Lipnicki. Voiced by: Michael J. Fox, Melanie Griffith, and Nathan Lane. Directed by: Rob Minkoff.

I liked this better than the original, and that''s a high compliment because I thought highly of the original film: Stuart Little. As good as that was, I just thought this was even better.

All the voice-overs are excellent with Nathan Lane having the best lines as "Snowball," the cat. He was simply hilarious, line after line.

The film once again features great colors, a virtual rainbow of them, especially with some of the inventive rooms in the Little house. The parents, once again, are super nice. It's a treat to watch Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie play an old- fashioned "Leave It To Beaver"-type couple. The film has no objectionable material and leaves you with a nice feeling. There are animated films or animated/real life combinations like this, that advertise "family-friendly viewing" but don't really deliver, instead sneaking in sexual innuendos and the like.

Not here. This one is pure, morals-wise, except for one scene near the end when the mom (Geena Davis) tells Stuart and their son she's still proud of them even though they just got caught in a big lie. (Inferring that the lie was okay since everything turned out okay.) Other than that, nothing but good messages were heard and seen all around and this is a funny movie, to boot. Highly recommended for the family, and that's no cliché.