Stuart Little 2

If you enjoyed the first "Stuart Little" film, you'll enjoy this well-done sequel, too. It's another fanciful, joyously unbelievable, feel-good film about the orphaned mouse adopted by a loving human family (based on the books by E.B. White).

This sequel has new screenwriters, but Rob Minkoff remains as director, and the transition between films is seamless. In fact, it may be a little too seamless. There was very little explanation of how an entirely human family ended up with a mouse for a child.

Then again, the entire concept of Stuart's existence was never particularly explained in the first film, either — and it doesn't seem to matter. It's one of those facts that kids can simply accept, and adults can easily enough ignore.

In fact, the film, like any cartoon, provides plenty of opportunities to willingly suspend disbelief. In one of the first scenes of the film, Stuart participates in a soccer game and is kicked, with the ball, for the winning goal. The only difference between Stuart's defiance of death and Wile E. Coyote's is that someone cares when Stuart gets hurt.

Michael J. Fox returns as the voice of our plucky hero, who is still struggling to find his place in the human world and within his human family.

Nathan Lane also returns as the voice of the family cat, "Snowbell," who is alternately annoying and hilarious. He has some great lines, but he also indulges in too many potty jokes (the mild vulgarity that prompts the PG rating comes almost entirely from this character).

Jonathan Lipnicki returns as a slightly less cute older brother, and Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie reprise their roles as Stuart's constantly chipper parents.

Spurred by the cheerful family relationship, the film is unabashedly happy.

And the bright, cheerful tone infects every aspect of the film. The music, the acting, even the weather is always nice. And almost every scene is chock full of vivid, vibrant colors — everything from walls and furniture to clothes and cars are bright blue, yellow, green and red. I don't recall seeing a single pastel color in the entire film.

The writers were not going for realism when they scripted scenes of unattainable family happiness. But who cares? It's a breath of fresh air among so many movies filled with artificially unhappy families.

"Stuart Little 2" is rated PG for slapstick violence with cartoon characters and mild vulgarity. Running time: 83 minutes.

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