Stuart Little (U)

Popcorn rating 3.5 out of 5

Stuart Little is a three-inch-tall mouse who is adopted by Mr & Mrs Little (Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis), much to the annoyance of their son, George who wanted a real brother.

The family cat Snowbell would like to eat Stuart, but realises he can't because technically the mouse is his master.

George soon warms to Stuart and he becomes part of the family. Snowbell is so embarrassed of his predicament that he enlists the help of local alleycats who hatch a dastardly plan...

This movie was a big hit in America last year, and it's easy to see why.

Stuart is an entirely computer-generated character with fetching little clothes and shoes, and a charming, polite manner. He is so unbearably cute that for the first 20 minutes of the film I couldn't get rid of the grin on my face.

Yet the stars of the movie are the five cats. The parts were played by real cats, but the special effects boffins have enabled them to talk and have facial expressions due to some brilliant computer trickery ,, it looks flawless and very funny. Snowbell in particular has all the best lines.

In comparison, the human characters are so nice they are irritating, and the whole plot soon descends into a sickly sweet slop of sentimentality. Still, it is a good moral lesson for the kids, and they seem to enjoy it, so who am I to criticise?