By EWAN McDONALD
(Herald Rating * * * *)
If you — or, far more likely, the younger members of your family — were entranced by the 1999 smash hit about a talking mouse adopted by a Mom, Dad and apple-pie suburban family, you'll love the sequel. It's got the same adorable
hero, the smallest star in Hollywood; wit and slapstick; computer effects; family values.
Stuart, the mouse (voice: Michael J Fox), is now settled into life with the Little family: Mr and Mrs Little (Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis); George (Jonathan Lipnicki) accepts his adopted "brother"; and the less enthralled Snowbell the cat (voice: Nathan Lane). There's now a baby daughter, Martha.
While driving around New York in his red convertible, Stuart runs into an injured canary called Margalo (voice: Melanie Griffith), who is being hunted by Falcon (James Woods). Stuart sorts out the situation and invites Margalo to join the Little household.
Snowbell is not impressed, less so when Margalo disappears at the same time as Mrs Little's diamond wedding ring. At first, the Littles think the ring has gone down the drain, but it soon becomes clear that Margalo stole it. Stuart is shocked at the betrayal and jumps into his new toy plane to get the ring back. Cue great fun, heart-stopping adventures. Or both, in the case of Stuart's Ronaldo-like debut for young George's soccer team.
DVD features: movie (78min); commentary by director Rob Minkoff and visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen; Circle of Friends game; 3 features including read-along Show and Tell feature; Celine Dion I'm Alive music video; trailers; filmographies.
