This sequel to a family hit based on the popular children's book by E.B. White again mixes live action actors with computer-animated cartoon characters. Michael J. Fox returns as the voice of Stuart Little, a three-inch tall talking mouse adopted by a human family in New York City. When his older "brother", George (Jonathan Lipnicki), starts spending more time with his other friends, playing games that Mrs. Little (Geena Davis) feels are too dangerous for the diminutive Stuart, the lonely fellow goes in search of companionship and finds it when he makes the acquaintance of Margalo (voice of Melanie Griffith), a tiny bird wounded by a sinister falcon (voice of James Woods) that is relentlessly pursuing her. While Margalo's busted wing heals up the Littles' house, Stuart grows closer to her and falls in love, but his new pal is hiding a secret that involves the villainous falcon and jewelry theft. In order to save his friend and their friendship, Stuart must call upon the assistance of the dreaded Snowbell (voice of Nathan Lane), the Little family cat with a Catskills comic delivery and no great love of Stuart. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
Marc John Jefferies - Will; Anna Hoelck - Martha Little; Ashley Hoelck - Martha Little; Steve Zahn - Monty
Credit
Shepherd Frankel - Art Director, Michelle Murdocca - Associate Producer, Francine Maisler - Casting, Mona May - Costume Designer, Louis D'Esposito - First Assistant Director, Rob Minkoff - Director, Priscilla Nedd-Friendly - Editor, Jason Clark - Executive Producer, Gail Lyon - Executive Producer, Jeff Franklin - Executive Producer, Rob Minkoff - Executive Producer, Steve Waterman - Executive Producer, Alan Silvestri - Composer (Music Score), Bonnie Greenberg - Musical Direction/Supervision, Bill Brzeski - Production Designer, Steven Poster - Cinematographer, Doug Wick - Producer, Lucy Fisher - Producer, Charles M. Wilborn - Sound/Sound Designer, Bruce Joel Rubin - Screen Story, Doug Wick - Screen Story, Bruce Joel Rubin - Screenwriter, Jerome Chen - Visual Effects Supervisor, Michelle Murdocca - Visual Effects Producer, Howard A. Anderson Company - Title Design
The soundtrack album for Stuart Little 2 is dominated by cheery pop/rock songs performed by artists affiliated with its releasing label, Epic Records. (Since this is a "music from and inspired by" album, some may not really be in the film.) Celine Dion occupies the position taken by Trisha Yearwood on the soundtrack to Stuart Little in 1999, singing an upbeat rhythm number called "I'm Alive." Other songs, such as Chantal Kreviazuk's "Another Small Adventure," Shawn Colvin's "Hold on to the Good Things," and Billy Gilman's "Count on Me," continue the sunny sentiments, and while Vitamin C's "Smile" acknowledges that life is not always peaches and cream, she admonishes "put a smile on your face, make the world a better place" over and over in the chorus. Making the world a better place is also the message of Mary Mary's remake of Jackie DeShannon's 1969 hit "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," one of several old songs presumably included to make parents and grandparents feel at home in the theater. The other revival of such a song is Nathan Lane's big-band version of "One," the 1969 hit by Three Dog Night written by Harry Nilsson. Lane provides the voice of a cat in the picture. Just where Steppenwolf's 1968 heavy metal anthem "Born to be Wild" or Gilbert O'Sullivan's maudlin 1972 chart-topper "Alone Again (Naturally)," in which he contemplates suicide and describes the death of his parents, fit into this scenario is not clear. But soundtrack albums of pop songs often don't make much sense unless you've seen the movies they come from. As with the first Stuart Little soundtrack, Alan Silvestri's score is restricted to two tracks. On them, he sounds like a John Williams wannabe, trying for grand themes among the by-the-numbers suspense and resolution music. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
Based on E.B. White's creation, Stuart Little once again comes full circle from literary character to movie star to video game in Stuart Little 2 for PC. A 3D adventure based on scenes from the 2002 movie, Stuart and his new friend Margalo embark on five adventures while avoiding their thieving adversary, Falcon. Whether skateboarding across rooftops of New York Skyscrapers or hopping to and from colorful, ascending balloons, players choose from three difficulty levels to play the five games in either Story Mode or Free Play.
Playing to beat the clock and the top ten recorded scores, each game features Stuart on the move searching for his mother's lost ring. Daredevil Driving features a roadway full of obstacles to avoid, such as discarded takeout containers and rolling baseballs, as players drive Stuart in his little red convertible to the end of the level. In Drain Escape players control Stuart through a maze of pipes as they avoid health sucking insects. Balloon Jump is an up and down adventure as Stuart ascends via balloons to the top of the Pishkin Building to save Margalo from Falcon. In Roof Skate, Stuart gets air as he zips from building to building collecting pieces for his model airplane, which he needs for the final game -- Air Dodge. In this final game, Stuart flies his airplane to the spot where Falcon has hidden Stuart's mother's ring.
Though both Story Mode and Free Play Mode feature the same games, Story Mode presents them sequentially, while Free Play allows players to choose the games in any order (or play one game repeatedly). Helpful items include fruit for extra points, point bonuses for timely finishes and flowers to boost Stuart's health meter. Falcon must be avoided to preserve health in each game. Other features include a bonus gallery for viewing still pictures of movie scenes, printable certificates of achievement, and automatic recording of the top ten scores from each game.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
It's difficult to place Stuart Little into any equation and not have an instant classic since there's nothing little about the lovable Stuart. Though Stuart Little 2 for PC surely won't become a classic, it does deliver the sweetness of Stuart while offering a variety of games that aren't horribly affected with control issues. Based on key scenes from the same titled movie, Stuart Little 2 displays well, controls easily and is brought convincingly to life on the computer screen.
Players not only get to drive Stuart's cool convertible (his original mode of transportation), they also get to help him pilot his most recent conveyance -- the model bi-plane. By staying true to the familiar story, Stuart Little 2 easily draws kids into gameplay. Three difficulty settings allow a wider age range to equally enjoy the challenges, while the brevity of the overall game keeps familiarity from breeding contempt. Catering to a variety of player needs, each of the five games present a simple challenge preceded by a brief cut-scene explaining the objective. A help icon is always available for interactive explanations if a player should happen to be stumped.
In all five games, Stuart is mobile, yet the games including his car and plane are the most fun. Drain Game plays like an arcade maze game and features the most exciting action as Stuart unstops vegetable clogs in the drain with his plunger. Yet regardless of the game, the difficulty settings do help tailor the challenge to age appropriateness.
Though the game has periodic glitches in the movement, the graphics flow remarkably well, and for the most part Stuart responds admirable to the sometimes-quirky keyboard controls. During Roof Skate, older kids may be frustrated at Stuart's inability to turn mid-air, but smaller children will likely appreciate the delay should they decide to change direction. While driving the car and flying the plane, the controls are so basic that anyone can successfully navigate the game.
Possibly the biggest drawback to Stuart Little 2 is its short duration. Each of the five games is over before you know it, and had a few more games been included, it would have packed a bigger punch. Yet, with absolutely no offensive content, no violence, and no aggression, the game is appropriate for even the smallest of players, and the brevity allows for a quick sense of accomplishment. Whether five or nine, (or 59), Stuart's arcade-style adventures will prove entertaining to big Little fans.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
A very simple and entertaining game for ages four and up.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
A nicely animated Stuart Little displays nicely against colorful background scenery.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Audible and yet not overpowering, the sound effects and music blend well. The commentary, though repetitive, does not easily grate the nerves.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Being short and sweet by nature means children can accomplish gameplay quickly. Competing for high scores against other family members makes for a lot of fun.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
A thorough instruction booklet is included as well as available help and easy to understand directions included with each game. Children familiar with a computer could honestly play without adult help.
~ Jennifer Beam, All Game Guide
Production Credits
Company 1: Infogrames Interactive Inc.; Assistant Producer: Sarah Perry; Principal Game Designer: Jennifer Fey McWilliams; Senior Brand Manager: Sue Bulson; Executive Producer: Eric Hayashi, Stacy Hendrickson; V.P. of Product Development: Scott Walker; Director of Marketing: Steve Arthur; Director of Creative Services: Steve Martin; Director of Editorial and Documentation Services: Elizabeth Mackney; Graphic Designer: Morgan Tomaiolo; Documentation Specialist: Randi Kravitz; Copywriter: Paul Collin; Director of Quality Assurance, North America: Michael Craighead; Senior Manager, Q.A. Certification Group: Kurt Boutin; Q.A. Testing Manager: Randy Lee, Bill Carroll; Q.A. Certification Lead: Mark Huggins; Lead Tester: Becky Madore; Company 2: Hyperspace Cowgirls; Producer: Jay Weisman; Associate Producer: Diana Kaplan; Executive Producer: Evan Skolnick; Game and Level Design: Sophocles Papavasilopoulos; Lead Programmer: Mathew Adams; Programmer: Hung Nguyen, Eric Tolman; Lead Animator - Characters & Models: Jurgen Brenkert; Lead Concept Artist - Environments: Alexander Reyna; Additional Modeling and Character Animations: Donnavon Webb; Interface Design: Shebani Basal; Storyboard Artist: Delfin Barral; Music: Sophocles Papavasilopoulos; Sound Design Supervisor: P. J. Cousins, Colin Wilkinson; Voiceover Artist: David Kaufman; Writer: Evan Skolnick; Production Coordinator: Shebani Basal; Production Team: Eva Weiss, Jae Kim, Tracy Chang; Cinematic Technical Director - Animations: Jurgen Brenkert; Cinematic Technical Director - Environments: Alexander Reyna; Cinematic Animator: Mark Bremerkamp, Brian Kirchdoerfer, Paul Mikulecky, Jason Zayas; Chief Technology Officer: Mathew Adams; Vice President: Conrad Cummings; President: Susan Shaw; Sony Pictures Cosumer Products: Mark Caplan, Laetitia May, Eric Thomsen
Two years after the first film, Stuart Little (voiced by Michael J. Fox) questions his ability after a grueling soccer match alongside George (Jonathan Lipnicki), who kicked him with a soccer ball. He becomes even more downhearted after George's toy airplane gets broken in an accident because of him. However, Stuart's father, Frederick Little (Hugh Laurie), tells him that for every Little, there is a "silver lining," a good thing that comes out of an apparently bad situation.
On his way home from school, Stuart saves a female canary named Margalo (voiced by Melanie Griffith) who is being pursued by a peregrine falcon (voiced by James Woods), and they become friends. But she is secretly working with Falcon to case and steal from households. When he presses her to find and take an object of value, or lose the sanctuary he promised her, she can't seem to concentrate on her assignment, as she is beginning to have tender feelings for Stuart. Falcon eventually loses patience and threatens to kill him if she doesn't deliver. Worried for his safety, she takes Eleanor Little (Geena Davis)'s diamond ring.
When the Littles see that the ring is missing, they think it has fallen down the sink. Stuart offers to be lowered down the drain on a string to get it, and nearly succeeds. When it breaks Margalo saves him, and his thanks to her only makes her feel even more guilty, so she decides to leave. When he can't find her, he assumes she has been kidnapped - and that Falcon is somehow involved. He leaves on a quest to rescue her with the household's reluctant cat Snowbell (voiced by Nathan Lane), but not before setting up a plan with George.
Stuart and Snowbell decide to get information on Falcon's whereabouts, so they enlist the help of Monty, an American Shorthair (from the original film) (voiced by Steve Zahn), who tells them that Falcon's lair is at the disused observation deck of the nearby Pishkin Building (in reality a heavily-modified CGI version of the Chrysler Building). They hatch a plan to use balloons to get Stuart to the top, where he finds out that Margalo is Falcon's slave, and was forced to take the ring. He tries to save her, but Falcon captures him, and drops him from an immense height to his presumed death; however he lands on a soft trash bag in a garbage truck. Unaware of this, Margalo tells Snowbell that Falcon killed Stuart.
On a garbage scow where he has ended up, Stuart blames himself for everything, and has almost lost all hope. But suddenly, he finds George's broken plane, fixes it up, and flies to save Margalo, who, having been freed by Snowbell, just fled from Falcon. The Littles, who have discovered his absence, (and that the plan Stuart made with George earlier was to lie to his parents) follow him by taxi as he begins an aerial adventure through the park, with Margalo at his side. Eventually, they lose Falcon, but he catches up and makes an attempt to kill Stuart, when he detaches the plane's upper wing, damaging the main one and causing it to enter a steep nose dive, which fails when Stuart recovers from the dive, nearly missing the Littles. He then realizes he can't run from Falcon, and lets Margalo off. He turns and flies the damaged plane in a kamikaze run while Falcon goes into an attack dive. He uses Mrs. Little's ring to temporarily blind him, and jumps out using a bandana as a parachute. The kamikaze attack works and Falcon is struck head on and defeated. Although he survives the attack, he falls out of the sky and lands in a garbage can that Monty is scavenging in, and is presumably eaten by him, but not before Stuart falls when his parachute is sliced apart by the propeller of the shattered plane, and then is rescued by Margalo.
Stuart is congratulated by his family, and Margalo, who gives Mrs. Little her ring back, and Snowbell reunites with them as well. That evening, Margalo leaves with the other birds to migrate south, but not before saying goodbye to her friends. Stuart says the "silver lining" is that she'll be back in the spring, and his baby sister, Martha, says her first words: "Bye bye, birdie."
The film has received generally positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes has reported that 83% of critics gave the film a positive review.[1] It also holds a 66|100 on Metacritic.[2]
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