Stuart Little 2 (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Hollywood rule # 47: If a film is successful and has even the slightest, most remote bit of success, then the sequel gets the fast track.

In 1999, "Stuart Little" premiered to American audiences with universal acclaim from parents and children alike. A fun, innocent movie, "Stuart Little" was the fairy tale story of a mouse being adopted like any other child into a human family, and the story tracked the theme of acceptance and was a pure and beautiful story about adoption.

"Stuart Little 2" features the return of the entire cast, both human and animated. The animation of the characters is better, crisper, and cleaner, and the story is more developed. Stuart, voiced by Michael J. Fox (who´s expressive performance really brings Stuart to life) is experiencing the true drawbacks of being a (literally) little brother. His older sibling, George (Jonathan Lipnicki) is growing up, and he wants to do things with his friends that Stuart simply cannot participate in. He wants to play soccer and video games with his friends, and his plans don´t include little Stuart. Whereas the first film detailed the difficulties of change and adaptation, the second is about growth and friendship.

The film opens with George and Stuart playing in a soccer game… or George is playing poorly and Stuart is sitting on the bench. Mrs. Little (Geena Davis) is worried about Stuart getting hurt while her husband, Mr. Little (Hugh Laurie) wants both his sons to go out and experience life. On a side note, while the first movie had Mr. and Mrs. Little in agreement about everything, portrayed as the "perfect couple," the sequel goes deeper into their relationship, showing the two at odds, (though never in a fashion other than cordial) and fleshing out the characters who were, in the first film straight out of fairytales (the theme of that movie) into real, legitimate characters. Truth is, I don´t mind the change in the characterization between films, and both feel appropriate in the context of their respective film.

Mrs. Little´s overprotection of Stuart, combined with his growing alienation from his brother George starts Stuart wondering if he is in the right place, since he really has no friends of his own, nor can he go out and make any, since he´s not allowed to leave the house alone. Stuart´s brother ferries ushers him to and from school, and once home, Stuart is supposed to stay put and not put himself in danger. One day, George shirks his duties and tells Stuart to drive himself home in his little convertible (either miraculously rescued from the first movie or rebuilt, it´s never really detailed in the film). While on his way, a new friend falls out of the sky (literally) and into his car… a wounded bird named Margalo (voiced by Melanie Griffith, arguably the weak link in the film). She is being chased by a falcon named… um… Falcon (James Woods, in all his evil vocal glory). The story is fairly routine from this point on, as we find that Margalo is an unwilling pawn in the criminal machinations of Falcon, as she cases homes and finds the goods, and Falcon reaps the rewards (though what a Falcon needs with a gaudy diamond ring, I´ll never know). Margalo steals the ring for Falcon, and it is up to Stuart (with assistance from the family cat Snowbell, voiced by the scene-stealing Nathan Lane) to get the ring back, redeem Margalo, and facilitate the happy ending. Of course it all comes to fruition in the end, but Stuart Little 2, much like its predecessor, is not about the conclusion, rather the fairy tale journey. The main plot of the film is an outstanding piece of work for children of all ages.

What really made the movie, for me, were the self-aware asides displayed by a variety of characters. They make snide comments, off-hand remarks and random statements that had me simply rolling. Much in the same way as Eddie Murphy´s Donkey carried the first half of "Shrek," Nathan Lane´s Snowbell steals the show. His dry wit is both aware and humorous, and enough that the kids will be entertained by the action, and not even notice the dialogue that´s going over their head. For example, we´ve all seen the transitions in cinema into a classroom moments before the bell dismissing the class. And generally we´re treated the end of a mundane lecture… but if you actually listen in Stuart Little 2, you´ll realize there are a lot of jokes included for the intelligent, aware adult audience who would be accompanying their children. The one to which I´m referring caused me to laugh so hard I had to restart the scene just to catch the dialogue I missed while I was rolling on the ground. There are quite a few of these moments scattered throughout the film, great bonus for a quaint little family film, broadening it to truly encompass the entire family, and not just pander to the kids as most "family films" these days seem to do.

That´s not to say everything about the film was great. Although I understand the fairy tale nature of "Stuart Little" and its sequel, and that the writers and filmmakers are given carte blanche for character development, the fact that some animals can communicate with humans (like Margalo and Stuart) and others cannot (like Snowbell and Falcon) drives me batty. There´s no real definition of what makes an animal acceptable in the Human world. If you try not to think about it, there is no issue present… but since Snowbell is such an integral character in the narrative, for there to be no explanation was a nuisance to me. Speaking generally, the voice acting in Stuart Little 2 was excellent, but when put into comparison, Melanie Griffith´s portrayal of the songbird Margalo. Griffith lacked the verisimilitude and emotion that needs to be present in voice acting to pull off the character when the character lacks the subtle facial emotions that can augment a performance. As it is, she does an adequate job, but when put in comparison with Fox, Lane, and Woods, her performance is the weak link in the chain.

What is present is 78 minutes of fun for the entire family, one that doesn´t play to a certain segment (like so simplistic a story that it bores parents to tears, or so complex that the children lose interest). Anyone with children can rest assured that this film is a great and ultimately rewatchable movie that will keep the kids interest, and not drive you insane (Kangaroo Song, anyone?). In fact, considering its brevity, this is the film you toss in when you need a quick laugh when you have a little time. Cute, funny, short, and uplifting, "Stuart Little" and "Stuart Little 2" are the beginning of a great series of films, and could possibly turn into this generations benchmark films, with universal appeal much like Disney movies have possessed for years.

Video:
The video on "Stuart Little 2" comes in two distinct flavors, wide screen and full-frame, with the option to choose between brought up on a menu when you first play the disc. If I may digress for a moment, I would like to commend Columbia Pictures for including both options on this disc, as there are camps of consumers that prefer both. I would rather have, when possible, both versions presented on one disc, or a two disc set like Fox´s "Ice Age" or Dreamwork´s "Shrek." Consumers already have a tough time figuring out what editions to buy with actual labeling of wide screen and full screen rapidly losing its prominence in packaging (look to Paramount´s "E.T." or "Back to the Future," or Dreamwork´s "Minority Report" for confirmation of this). When we have a family title that has the potential for both full-and-wide screen purchases, I have no problem with, and in fact encourage, the inclusion of both flavors of video. It´s much better than releasing a full-frame only title (see also "Stuart Little DE" or "Muppet Christmas Carol").