Valiant

Think animated animal animation of the bird variety. No not cluck-cluck as in Chicken Run, but pigeons of the homing variety pitched into the heart of WWII to do their bit for the war effort.

From the Producer of Shrek, comes a delightful nostalgic family war skit based on truth since pigeons were indeed used by the British Intelligence in the war to get secret messages across to the Resistance. They were eventually dispensed with only because in one or two veering off, they were deemed to be just a touch unreliable!

Here, Ewan plays a tiny bird with a big heart. Valiant is desperate to become a member of the RHPS (Royal Homing Pigeon Service) and flies to London to enlist for King and Country. In Trafalgar Square, he meets up with Bugsy (Gervais), a fat smelly cheeky con-man pigeon who only ends up flying in the war effort by mistake.

Valiant is joined by his Geordie cousins Toughwood and Tailfeather, polite-talking recruit Lofty and Bugsy and these five winged crusaders get just a few weeks training under the tough disciplince of Sarge (Broadbent) before they are sent on a dangerous mission to hook up with the French resistance whilst having to avoid a nasty bunch of leather-clad German falcons led by General von Talon (voiced by Tim Curry).

Its harmless enough for kids giving them enough daredevil heroic antics, flying escapades and the odd laugh (largely through the work of Gervais). Given its about the war, and most kids have a pretty hazy idea that there was a World War, one tends to feel this will appeal most to adults since they will have a better grasp of what’s its modelled on.

It could have been funnier – for instance the engagement of Bugsy with von Talon could have been exploited more. Most though will like Gervais as a mangy old bird and probably like Ewan as a tiny eager one. Its not going to do the sort of filthy lucre business at the Box Office that Shrek has and Robots will, but most will enjoy its angle and think Ricky and Ewan are well cast. Now who’s up for a glass of vino and a piece of pigeon pie ?!

Matt Arnoldi