The award-winning children's picture book by British author Julia Donaldson is exquisitely brought to the screen in this Oscar-nominated adaptation that is faithful to the beloved source material. A wily young mouse fends off three hungry predators—a fox, an owl, and a snake—with claims of a ferocious beast called a Gruffalo. Don't they know, Mouse gloats, “there's no such thing as a Gruffalo”—or so he thinks. No doubt the book's reputation attracted the A-list voice cast, including Tom Wilkinson as Fox, John Hurt as Owl, comedian Rob Brydon as Snake, and Robbie Coltrane as (spoiler alert) the Gruffalo. Helena Bonham Carter exudes warmth as a mother squirrel-cum-narrator who reassures her own frightened children with this brains-over-brawn story featuring playful rhymes and repeated phrases. DVD extras include a 15-minute “making-of” featurette and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: E, P. (D. Liebenson)
The Gruffalo
(2009) 40 min. DVD: $9.99. NCircle Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 6
The Gruffalo
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