Stuart Little 2

While less isn't always more, the makers of "Stuart Little 2" resisted the temptation to pad it out from its shorthand running time, meaning it goes by quickly and painlessly. Not that the actual plot of this followup to the original charmer is hard to take in itself (Stuart is starting to feel a bit left out, and when Margalo the wren literally drops into his life he gets a new dimension).

In terms of technical levels it's only slightly easier to fault (Margalo looks a bit too cartoonish to be real, unlike Stuart Little himself and the falcon that's the movie's villain - but then again, Melanie Griffith [the voice of Margalo] always seems like a cartoon anyway), but the story by screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin and the movie's producer Douglas Wick is what makes this ultimately inferior to its predecessor; what helped drive "Stuart Little" was our hero's wish to be accepted by his human brother and by the cat - sneer all you want, but the family message was hard to ignore. For the sequel it's more standard - the friend who's acting out of ulterior motives at first but then turns out to be a real friend, etc. Stuart isn't so much the protagonist this time, and it hurts a little.

So the freshness is reduced, but this still isn't stale - the charm and humour of the first movie remains, Michael J. Fox and Nathan Lane are as adept as ever as Stuart and Snowbell ("This better be important." "Margalo is missing." "I'd better be more specific - I meant important to ME."), and the human Littles remain just right - loving but not without making you want to slit your own throats. HBO Family has recently aired an animated version with all the principals except Hugh Laurie absent - it'll have to go a long way to live up to the two movies. (In-joke for score fans: Alan Silvestri slips in a quote from his "Back to the Future" theme in the climax.)

But I can see why this didn't do as well at the box-office as it should have - having a soccer match plus including Gilbert O'Sullivan AND Celine Dion on the soundtrack was asking for trouble...

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.

Sure, this is a kid's movie, but it's sufficiently engaging to hold mom and dad's attention, even through repeated viewings. Little touches like having tiny Stuart wear a NY (football) Giants t-shirt and clever, and the highly stylized look of the film is just fun. The costume designer should get an award for making the costumes look sort of contemporary and "Miracle on 34th Street" at the same time. And while the plot is predictable and telegraphs its punches, it's also gentle and doesn't drag out the scary stuff too long, which makes this a good movie for kids. A lot better than a lot of the kids movies you will run across at Blockbuster.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I hold with the minority opinion that it isn't up to the standards of the original. The first movie succeeded in being sweet and charming without being the least bit sugary. Alas, the sequel doesn't entirely avoid this pitfall (that "little high, little low" business is just a little gagging). Also, the plot is too predictable, although that probably won't matter much to children, who are, after all, the film's target audience.

These are really minor quibbles, though. "Stuart 2" is a fine movie, both for kids and adults. The special effects are well-done, all the actors do a good job in their roles, and the dialogue has some real gems. Particularly noteworthy is Snowbell, the cat (voiced to hilarious perfection by Nathan Lane). He gets all the best lines, and steals every scene he's in--he even upstages Stuart himself! Verdict: Good movie. Go see.

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.