Film

The Amazing Maurice

Name: The Amazing Maurice
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Released: 2022
Cast: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel, David Tennant

Fantasy

Terry Pratchett's picaresque rat-and-cat caper adapted into a wildly inventive animated film. It's joyfully digressive, crammed with voice-acting flourishes and visual gags that reward close watching. Aimed at kids but never condescending; adults will find more in the margins. A heist comedy with a heart and a conscience.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a cheeky caper where the jokes land on wordplay and sly asides, and a fairy tale that winks at its own storybook conventions while still caring about its small, scrappy characters.

Skip it if you want fast, nonstop action, since this one takes its time setting up the scheme and lingers on talky scenes between the rats and the cat.

What it asks of you: It runs about ninety-three minutes at an easy, unhurried clip, asking you to follow dialogue and track a few loose plot threads rather than simply sit back and be dazzled.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Zootopia2016

A caper wrapped in a buddy comedy, with talking animals navigating a corrupt city through wit and con artistry. Sharp writing that works for both children and adults, with genuine stakes beneath the charm.

But The tone whipsaws between kid-friendly and issue-driven; some find the social messaging heavy-handed rather than woven naturally into the story.

Fantastic Mr. Fox2009

Wes Anderson's stop-motion craft and literary wit applied to Roald Dahl, another author who loved cunning small creatures outwitting the powerful. A heist that's also a family story, told with meticulous charm and real warmth.

But Anderson's deliberate, symmetrical style moves at its own pace—if you need plot momentum and conventional pacing, this will feel static and precious.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

Another Pratchett-adjacent sensibility: an animated adaptation of a children's fantasy about rats and mice with genuine pathos. Colorful, whimsical, surprisingly moving, with a similar blend of adventure and heart.

But Sentimental and occasionally saccharine; the emotional beats are broad, and if you dislike cuteness as a storytelling tool, you'll struggle.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Amazing Maurice

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Nocturna2007

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A Spanish animated film about a boy and a cat navigating a secret nocturnal city. It's visually audacious, melancholy in unexpected ways, and feels handcrafted rather than assembly-lined—genuinely unlike anything else you've seen.

But The story is deliberately dreamy and symbolist; if you need clear plot mechanics and straightforward narrative resolution, this will feel deliberately obscure and frustrating.

Raya and the Last Dragon2021

An ensemble adventure featuring a scrappy found family, clever con-artist logic, and a morally complex world where no one's simply good or evil. The heist sequences are genuinely satisfying.

But It's trying to do a lot at once—world-building, character arcs, romance—and some elements feel underdeveloped. The pacing stumbles in the middle act.

Kubo and the Two Strings2016

Laika's stop-motion masterpiece: lush, adventurous, funny, and unexpectedly profound. A film about storytelling itself, with voice work that feels lived-in and a visual style that makes you want to pause every frame.

But The plot occasionally drifts in service of mood and spectacle; some will find it meandering rather than mythic.

Klaus2019

A hand-drawn animated film about the power of small kindnesses reshaping a cynical system. Gorgeously crafted with impeccable voice acting and a story that sneaks genuine emotion past your defenses.

But If you're allergic to sentiment about redemption and goodness winning out, the third act may feel saccharine.

Sing2016

An ensemble comedy about misfits finding their voice through performance. The humor lands on multiple levels, the character work is warm without being cloying, and it has real wit beneath the family-film veneer.

But The plot is fairly conventional—underdog competition with predictable beats. If you've seen the formula before, you know exactly where it's heading.

Arthur Christmas2011

A genuinely clever adventure comedy with technical invention and heart. Funny for adults, engaging for kids, with a protagonist who achieves his goals through kindness and ingenuity rather than brute force.

But The Christmas setting and wholesome message aren't for everyone; the film commits fully to earnest sentiment, which some find cloying.

The Lego Movie2014

A children's film made by and for people who love cinema. Rapid-fire jokes, genuine adventure, surprising emotional depth, and a visual style that delights in its own artificiality.

But The humor comes so thick and fast that some sequences blur together; if you need breathing room between gags, it'll exhaust you.

Wendell & Wild2022

Both are con-artist narratives at heart where clever underdogs navigate a corrupt system through ingenuity; both use elaborate voice casts to bring distinct personality to a rogues' gallery of allies and enemies.

Henry Selick's stop-motion comedy about a runaway girl befriending two scheming demons. It's grotesque, genuinely funny, anarchic in spirit, and visually baroque—proof that children's fantasy can be weird and dark without losing warmth or humor.

But The design aesthetic is deliberately unsettling; the film's surreal logic and darker register may feel at odds with what people expect from a kids' film.