By: debbie lynn elias
As you all know by now, I am not a big fan of sequels, remakes or film translations of books. An exception to this belief, however, comes in the form of that lovable mouse, Stuart Little. Based on characters from the E.B. White children’s classic, “Stuart Little 2″ once again delights us with the further adventures of Stuart as he tries to be just a regular kid in a human world.
In 1999, we met up with the live-action/animation version of Stuart and the Little family, watching both Stuart and the Littles adjust and adapt to not only a “younger brother”, but a younger brother who’s a mouse. In “Stuart Little 2″ director Rob Minkoff returns to the helm expanding on the already well-developed characters but adding new dimension, heightened action and a better storyline thanks to writer Bruce Joel Rubens. As an added bonus, Minkoff and Rubens throw in some clever scenarios to amuse adults while keeping the requisite pre-teen gags about cat litter and bird droppings to a minimum.
As with any progressive story, Stuart is now a few years older, but still not more than 2 inches tall and still “different” than the other kids. Nevertheless, he goes to regular school, albeit driving his toy sports car, plays soccer and makes his mother worry about his being crushed by cleats. Of course, being 2 inches tall also has its advantages – especially when slipping into drains to retrieve your mother’s diamond ring. Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie reprise their roles as proud parents Frederick and Eleanor Little while Jonathan Lipnicki once again wows us with his performance as Stuart’s human brother George. We also have a baby sister named Martha to contend with, although she is merely window dressing to the more established and beloved characters.
As part of Stuart’s new adventures, he rescues a beautiful bird named Margalo who he more or less “adopts”, bringing her into the Little household, much to the chagrin of Snowbell. Margalo, however, is not the damsel in distress she claims to be and as a result, the plot twists and turns with the arrival of the evil Falcon, Margalo’s alleged pursuer. But, as comes as no surprise, comedy, chaos and calamity abound with this combination of birds, mice, cats and falcons. And as if Stuart isn’t cute enough as it is, an even sweeter touch is the blossoming of a schoolhouse crush between Stuart and Margalo.
Davis seems to have perfected her overprotective mother role, fitting comfortably into the part and handling familial crises with an ease not seen in the first installment. But of course, other than the absolute animated cuteness of Stuart, the key to his charm is undoubtedly the voicing, once again done by Michael J. Fox. Each squeak, quiver and inflection only endears Stuart to us even more. Nathan Lane also returns as Stuart’s hilarious nemesis and family pet, Snowbell the Cat. Lane has the uncanny ability to turn any animated character into one every child (and adult) wants to have in their own home – be they good, bad, or simply devilishly mischievous like Snowbell. Melanie Griffith steps in as the deceptively sweet and sultry Margalo while James Woods seems tailor-made for his role as the voice of the menacing Falcon.
Obviously a throwback to his days as an animator for “The Little Mermaid” and as director for the “The Lion King,” Minkoff, who made his live-action directorial debut with the first “Stuart Little” stays true to form with his use of bright colors and fairytale imagery – never more noticable than with the Manhattan setting of the Central Park brownstone of the Little family. Cheerful and seemingly larger than life, the Little life shown by Minkoff appears to have been plucked from a gentler, earlier time and plunked down in the 21st Century. Kudos also go to cinematographer Steve Poster, who had the unenviable task of framing the six foot tall Davis with the two inch tall Stuart. The realism created by the human interaction with digital computerized images is so seamless that you forget that Stuart, Snowbell and Margalo aren’t real characters.
I recently had my 9 year old nephew inform me that he is “not a Stuart Little type person.” Well folks, I gotta tell ya. He doesn’t know what he’s missing. “Stuart Little 2″ – charming, delightful, enchanting, innocent, adventurous and filled with heart and laughter. You can’t ask for more.
