Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10504 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-07
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Animated, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 73 minutes

Synopsis
From the producer of 'Shrek' and 'Shrek II' comes this animated feel-good comedy about a small but heroic British homing pigeon during World War II. Though tiny, Valiant is gutsy, and he yearns to join the Royal Homing Pigeon Service to serve his country during its time of need, hoping to prove that what he lacks in wingspan he makes up for in spirit. Accepted into training, Valiant faces some ribbing by the other members of RHPS and is placed into Squad F, along with a host of other misfit heroes. However, with troops trapped behind enemy lines and a flurry of attacks by enemy falcons (led by General Von Talon), voiced it's up to Valiant and his comrades to save the day. Notably, 'Valiant' is based on a true story, as more than half of all medals awarded to animal war heroes went to homing pigeons. Children will appreciate this heart-warming tale of brains over brawn, and adult viewers will appreciate the film's voice cast, which features a wealth of British stars that also includes Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, and 'The Office's Ricky Gervais. Similar to other films that use humour to address the turbulence of war, such as 'Hope And Glory', 'Tea With Mussolini', and 'Life Is Beautiful', 'Valiant' provides a tale of hope and heroism for all ages.

Customer Reviews

A good dose of family entertainment.
Valiant truly has something to offer all age groups in the family. Kids will appreciate the animation and feel good factor about the film whilst adults may find themselves sniggering at the odd joke themselves. This light hearted animation boasts a top voice cast including Ewan McGregor as the small but spirited homing pidgeon, Valiant, who inevitably saves the day along with his friends, a band of misfits voiced by Ricky Gervais, John Cleese and other British film stars.

The story is based around the role of the homing pidgeon in the second world war with Britain reliant on it's Royal Homing Pidgeon Service (RHPS) in order to keep contact with the French resistance. Dropped in behind enemy lines, Valiant and his compatriots must deliver a critical message from the resistance to head office in Britain all the time operating against the enemy, a group of falcons. Very much an underdog story this is a heart-warming tale capable of producing a smile to a viewer of any age. Ricky Gervais has a tendency to produce the most laughs and he plays the socially unfit yet loveable 'Bugsy'.

My only negative comment would be that occassionally you feel the animators have missed a possible trick or two with the expression of their characters decreasing the impact of the comedy present. Nevertheless it's a film suitable for all and though it lasts only an hour and ten minutes there are a reasonable amount of extras present on the DVD for exploration.

Based on a True Story, Made Me Proud Though I Don't Know Why
I sat down to this DVD with no idea what it was about other than my husband thought it looked cute. I was dubious and doubtful, but it ended up bringing tears to my eyes (although I cry easily anyway!).

This is the story of a brave WW II British homing pigeon, named Valiant, and his quest to get his message back home despite difficult situations. He is part of Squad F of the Royal Homing Pigeon Service, and after one of his comrades is trapped by enemy falcons, notably General Von Talon, it is up to Valiant to get the message home.

I had no idea that over 50% of all the medals awarded to animal war heros in WW II went to homing pigeons. I didn't even know that animals were given medals during the war, and I can tell you that I was happy to see 2 or 3 cats had received medals as well.

A feel-good movie. The French mouse Charles La Girl is a fantastic secondary character worth the price of the DVD alone.

There will be awards, parades, and commemorative stamps!
I don't really understand the lukewarm reaction to this film, as I found Valiant to be an excellent animated film. The story is both interesting and compelling, the voice actors do a great job, there's plenty of comedy from start to finish, and I thought the animation itself was quite good. There's too much emphasis these days on high-tech, fancy animation - sure, it can be very cool, but a cartoon with a good story and wonderful characters doesn't need the fanciest new animation. In fact, a good story can get lost in too much CGI wizardry, and I for one like a more traditional look. I don't mean to say the animation here is simplistic because it's not; it's just not as fancy as some viewers apparently wanted it to be. This isn't The Matrix; it's a movie-length cartoon.

The setting is 1944. With World War II still raging, the Royal Air Force Homing Pigeon Brigade, having suffered extensive losses delivering important messages to and from enemy lines, is looking for a few good pigeons. Valiant (voiced wonderfully by Ewan McGregor) is determined to leave the nest and prove himself, especially if it means serving alongside heroes such as the celebrated Gutsy (Hugh Laurie). No one thinks he can make it (he's not even "yea" high, for one thing), but he's determined to prove everyone wrong and do his part in the fight for freedom. Arriving in London, he meets up with a smelly old con pigeon named Bugsy (Ricky Gervais), who sort of accidentally signs up for service alongside him. They both fit right in to the band of misfits who make up Squadron F (Lofty, the intellectual, blue-blood and two brothers sporting more brawn than brain). Unfortunately, it falls to this lot - even before their training is complete - to take on the mission that, if successful, may well win the war for the Allies. It will be highly dangerous, though, as they must avoid the enemy's deadly falcons, led by the formidable Von Talon (Tim Curry).

Is it predictable? Yes, of course it is. It's a family-friendly, G-rated cartoon, after all. Any young child can understand the story. The only problem I had with the film was its rather short running time of 76 minutes. The big scenes at the end do feel a tad rushed, and one can only wonder why they couldn't add in a few more minutes to round things off a little more effectively. This, however, is a small complaint on my part, as I found this movie immensely entertaining.

I was especially pleased by the note at the end of the film acknowledging the important contribution different animals actually did perform in World War II - especially carrier pigeons, who won 24 Dickens Medals for their heroic service. I would encourage Valiant fans to read a little about such avian heroes as GI Joe, who saved the British forces occupying an Italian town from American bombing, Cher Ami, who (despite being shot in both the chest and the leg) delivered a message that saved forces trapped behind enemy lines from devastating friendly fire, and many other unsung non-human war heroes.