The Amazing Maurice
Directed by: Toby Genkel, Florian Westermann
Screenplay by Terry Rossio
Based on The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Produced by Emely Christians, Andrew Baker, Robert Chandler, Rob Wilkins, Julia Stuart
Starring
Hugh Laurie as Maurice
Emilia Clarke as Malicia
David Thewlis as Boss Man
Himesh Patel as Keith
Gemma Arterton as Peaches
Hugh Bonneville as The Mayor
David Tennant as Dangerous Beans
Rob Brydon as The Pied Piper
Julie Atherton as Nourishing
Joe Sugg as Sardines
Peter Serafinowicz as Death
Edited by Friedolin Dreesen
Music by Tom Howe
Production companies: Ulysses Filmproduktion, Cantilever Media, Studio Rakete, Red Star 3D, Moonshot Films
Distributed by Sky Cinema (United Kingdom), Telepool (German-speaking territories)
The basic plot outline would suggest an affable, perhaps charming animated feature. Maurice is a large ginger tabby who gets really annoyed if people call him by the overused name of Morris. He has teamed up with a dim but pleasant lad, Keith, and a group of literate rats who bear a considerable resemblance to the troupe in Ratatouille. They have a scam: they go from town to town and the rats stage a showy “plague of rats.” Maurice shows up and assures the townsfolk (few of whom seem to find it odd he can speak) that he can get the Pied Piper to save the town from the rats. Keith shows up, flute in hand, and leads a parade of rats out of the town. The townsfolk then pony up to Maurice, often a fairly tidy sum. It’s implied at Maurice plans to screw over his cohorts, but events collude before he can reach that point.
They reach a prosperous-looking town that’s obviously a trade hub, and quickly discover that the town has no food. They slowly realize that a rival group of rats, well hidden, are behind this. The mayor’s daughter, a teen girl whose mind is aswirl with dreams of Terry Pratchett-style adventures, joins up with Maurice and his group, although they aren’t particularly thrilled by her presence, since she seems to be, if anything, even dimmer than Keith.
What makes this special is that it is based on a Terry Pratchett novel, and the showrunners were clever enough to keep Pratchett’s tone and humor intact. (Pratchett is credited as executive producer, and the film was made with the oversight and blessing of his estate).
So what might have been a pleasant hour and a half turns into hilarious magic. Some very gifted comedians are involved with this: Hugh Laurie is Maurice, and David Tennant (who was superb in another Pratchett-related show, Good Omens) is Dangerous Beans, one of the more sinister animated characters around. Emilia Clarke is formidably funny, even without dragons. Her snark matches Pratchett’s gift for inversely stating the obvious to a “T”.
Now on Netflix.