If cuteness were the same as quality, "Stuart Little" would be a great movie.
As it is, this low-key comedy will have to settle for being cute but not cloying family fare. It's also pretty wholesome, harmless and features a good message about acceptance, which certainly can't be said of most movies aimed at all-age audiences these days.
And though its digital creations may pale in comparison to the computer-animated characters in "Toy Story 2," the effects here do lead to several crafty gags that will keep kids and parents amused.
Consequently, E.B. White purists may not be happy about the liberties taken with some of the author's most beloved characters. But those liberties do help streamline the story and ensure that there don't have to be any messy explanations for some of the odder developments.
In fact, the only serious story problem is that the script reduces the tale to a series of comic vignettes about the title character, a tiny, anthropomorphic mouse (voiced by Michael J. Fox) and his attempts to win over his adoptive brother, George (Jonathan Lipnicki, from "Jerry Maguire").
Though George is excited when his parents (Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie) announce that he is getting a little brother, that excitement turns to horror when he gets his first look at Stuart.
Fortunately, Stuart doesn't let that initial prejudice get in the way of a great friendship, and he helps George win a model-boat contest — by piloting the ship to victory.
However, there is another threat to deal with in the family, namely Snowbell (the voice of Nathan Lane), a pet tabby who isn't thrilled about having a mouse for a master, and who hires some shady acquaintances to take care of his "Little" problem.
During the latter plot development, the movie does start to veer into "Home Alone" (or "Mouse Alone") territory with some slapstick bits.
But for the most part, screenwriter M. Night Shyamalan and Greg Brooker treat the material with warmth and good humor (except for some dumb, out-of-place animal flatulence gags).
And former animator Rob Minkoff makes an impressive live-action directing debut, showing a kinetic but never too flashy style that should hold interest in all of the onscreen antics.
The cast isn't too bad, either, though some of the human characters actually have less personality than the animals.
Making the biggest splash here are Lipnicki, who is a little stiff but has enough charm to make up for it, and Fox, who imbues Stuart with the right balance of spunk and wonder. Of course, Lane does get the film's best lines as Stuart's feline competitor for the family's affections.
There are also some very funny cameos by Dabney Coleman and Jon Polito, among others, as well as scene-stealing vocal supporting turns by Bruno Kirby and Jennifer Tilly, as a mouse couple who may or may not be Stuart's biological parents.
"Stuart Little" is rated PG for vulgar humor, animal violence (nothing especially threatening or frightening, though) and a pair of mild profanities.