Valiant

Movie / Show Details

Amazon.com

A host of great British thespians, from Ewan MacGregor to John Cleese, lend their voices to Valiant, a computer-animated bird’s-eye-view of World War II. Valiant (MacGregor, Big Fish, Down With Love), though but a small pigeon, is determined to join the homing pigeon brigade and do his part to help win the war. He and a handful of other misfits are assembled into a motley squad and suddenly find themselves thrust into combat with the responsibility of delivering a crucial message. Unfortunately, the villainous Von Talon (Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), a Nazi falcon, intends to tear them to feathers over the English Channel. Aside from some delightful voice work from Ricky Gervais (The Office) as a filthy but cunning pigeon, there’s not much to recommend about Valiant. The story is clunky, cliche-ridden, and underdeveloped; the design is charmless and inexpressive; the characters are so generic that even a cast as talented as Jim Broadbent (Topsy-Turvy, Iris), Hugh Laurie (House), and John Hurt (1984, The Elephant Man) can do little to make them anything but bland stereotypes from a long-exhausted movie genre. Overall, poorly conceived and clumsily executed. –Bret Fetzer

Product Description

A comedy-adventure tale of a brave-but-undersized pigeon named Valiant, who dreams of joining the elite Royal Homing Pigeon Service (RHPS), and serving crown and country during World War II. Despite his small stature, Valiant’s ambitions are enormous as he keeps a stiff upper beak and endures rigorous training in preparation for a dangerous mission to deliver vital messages to troops behind enemy lines.With a shortage of wingpower in the royal fleet due to increased attacks by a brigade of vicious enemy falcons, the mission falls to Valiant and the unlikely heroes of “Squad F” to try and save the day.With a wing and a prayer, Valiant and his fine feathered pals fly into harm’s way and prove that it’s not the size of the wingspan that counts, but the size of the spirit.

Review

“A family-friendly charmer with cute little birdies!” — THELMA ADAMS, US WEEKLY

“Another valiant animated sensation from the masters at Disney.” — CLAY SMITH, THE INSIDER

“At last, a message movie that s fun.” — GENE SHALIT, THE TODAY SHOW

“Just like its leading character, Valiant has both heart and humor.” — LEONARD MALTIN, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

“The animation here is top notch, with gorgeously rendered imagery.” — MARSHALL FINE, STAR

” Valiant is a smart, marvelously drawn account of the bravery of homing pigeons during World War II ” — ANN HORNADAY, THE WASHINGTON POST