Stuart Little 2

First, a confession: I may be a cynical old hack with no sense of humour to speak of, but I loved Stuart Little (1999). And while most sequels to great kids' films are less than impressive (exhibit A, m'lurd, Babe 2: Pig in the City), Stuart Little 2 is a very enjoyable romp, which the kiddies will lap up and any accompanying adults should also find quite enjoyable. Most interestingly, however, is the care taken with the script - rather than just rehashing the characters and throwing them out in a hackneyed fashion - some care seems to have been taken with the screenplay. Set two years after the events of the original, Stuart is feeling neglected and unwanted in the Little household. So when an injured bird (Griffith) lands in his garden, Stuart makes friends with her. Unfortunately, his new pal is soon kidnapped by a nasty falcon (Woods), and it's up to the mouse and his sarcastic pal, Snowball the cat (Lane) to rescue her. Beautifully made, Stuart Little 2 is a delightful looking film, with the CGI hi-jinks segueing seamlessly with the live action. It's an impressive feat, but what really makes the movie memorable is the charming and warm screenplay, extolling a warm sense of humour without ever patronising its audience.