Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Guardian: Review, The Amazing Maurice review – rodent crime caper is a riot of silliness

53 views
Skip to first unread message

kyonshi

unread,
Jan 20, 2023, 7:52:12 AM1/20/23
to
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/dec/14/the-amazing-maurice-review-rodent-caper-is-a-riot-of-silliness


3/5 Stars
A stellar cast have a lot of fun hamming it up in this adaptation of a
Terry Pratchett novel about a bunch of scamming rats who come unstuck on
a con gone wrong

The rodent in charge of the rescue mission explains that picking up the
scent of their missing comrade was easy: “He was widdling all the way.”
Just one of the many hilarious lines in this family animation adapted
from the Terry Pratchett children’s novel about a crew of scam artist
rodents. My favourite moment involves a rat at death’s door coming face
to face with the grim squeaker.

The film is a riot of silliness from start to finish, featuring top
dollar actors hamming it up nicely, making up for some not especially
dazzling animation. The setting is ye olde bubonic times, where Maurice
(Hugh Laurie) is a conniving ginger tom, and the brains behind a Pied
Piper racket. He is working in cahoots with a pack of rats and a
gormless boy called Keith (Himesh Patel). Of the supporting cast David
Tennant is wonderful as the rats’ spiritual guru Dangerous Beans, an
ageing crusty in a holey jumper. On a typical operation, Maurice sends
in the rats, who overrun a village, whipping up fears of a plague. Then
in comes Keith playing a flute pretending to be the piper of yore.
Voila, the rats exit and the locals pay up. It’s a nice little earner,
but Maurice and the gang come unstuck in a village called Furry Bottom.

Robert Carnegie

unread,
Feb 12, 2023, 5:04:36 PM2/12/23
to
Thanks for that. Nice. Though I'm not sure about
Death of Rats as a "favourite" "hilarious" moment,
if that's meant. Touching, yes - if it follows the book.
0 new messages