Honestly, if you search for "the Steve Carell mice movie," you’re probably thinking of a very specific era of animation. You might even be a little confused. People often mix up their mid-2000s talking-animal flicks, but there is one definitive project that connects the Michael Scott actor to a world of rodents and chivalry. It’s The Tale of Despereaux.
Released in 2008, this film wasn't just another generic kids' movie. It was weird. It was visually moody. And for Steve Carell, it represented a specific moment in his skyrocketing career where he was basically everywhere.
He played Botticelli. Not the painter. The rat.
What was the Steve Carell mice movie actually about?
Most people remember the little mouse with the giant ears, voiced by Matthew Broderick. But the "Steve Carell mice movie" connection usually stems from his scene-stealing role as the antagonist of the rat world. Unlike the bumbling, well-meaning characters he played in The Office or The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Botticelli was something else. He was a leader of the underworld. He lived in the dungeon. He was manipulative, cruel, and strangely sophisticated.
The plot is a bit of a sprawl. You've got a mouse who doesn't act like a mouse, a rat who wants to be a chef, and a kingdom that has banned soup because of a tragic accident involving a queen and a rodent. It sounds like a fever dream. That’s because it was adapted from Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal-winning book, which is much darker and more philosophical than your average DreamWorks or Pixar outing.
The movie cost about $60 million to make. It didn't "flop," but it certainly didn't become a cultural juggernaut like Despicable Me would just two years later.
Why people get confused about Carell’s animated roles
Carell is a voice-acting powerhouse. Because he has such a distinct, malleable voice, it’s easy to misattribute his work.
A lot of folks accidentally credit him with Ratatouille. They hear a high-pitched, energetic performance and think, "Oh, that’s Steve." It isn't. That was Patton Oswalt. Others think he was in Flushed Away. Nope. That was Hugh Jackman.
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But in The Tale of Despereaux, Carell was leaning into a darker register. He wasn't the hero mouse. He was the rat kingpin. It’s a fascinating performance because he manages to be genuinely threatening while still fitting into the PG-rated confines of a family film. He used a sort of oily, theatrical tone that most fans don't immediately recognize as "Michael Scott."
The strange visual style of Despereaux
The movie looks like a Flemish painting. Seriously.
The lighting is heavy. The shadows are deep. It doesn't have that "plastic" look that early 3D animation often suffered from. Universal and Framestore (the VFX house) wanted it to feel like fine art. This is probably why it sticks in people's memories so vividly even if they can't quite remember the title. They just remember "that mouse movie with the guy from The Office."
Gary Ross, the guy who directed Pleasantville and would go on to do The Hunger Games, wrote the screenplay. You can feel that weight in the story. It deals with grief, forgiveness, and the literal absence of light. It's heavy stuff for a movie about a mouse.
Behind the scenes: Carell in the booth
When Carell was recording for the Steve Carell mice movie, he was at the absolute peak of his TV fame. The Office was arguably the biggest thing on television.
Actors often do these roles for their kids. Carell has mentioned in various interviews over the years that he enjoys the freedom of the recording booth because you don't have to worry about your "face." You can just be the character. For Botticelli, he had to find a way to make a rat living in a literal dungeon sound like someone you’d almost want to follow—right until he betrays you.
The cast was actually insane. You had Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Watson, and Christopher Lloyd. It’s one of those movies that, if it were made today, would have a billion-dollar marketing budget. In 2008, it sort of just slid into theaters during the Christmas season and did decent, but not spectacular, business.
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Why we still talk about this specific film
We talk about it because of the "Carell Effect."
Before he was Gru, he was experimenting. He was trying to see where his voice could go. If you go back and watch The Tale of Despereaux now, you can hear the seeds of the character work he’d later do in more famous franchises.
There's also the nostalgia factor. Kids who grew up in the late 2000s are now adults, and they're rediscovering these "mid-tier" animated gems. They realize that the Steve Carell mice movie wasn't just a random paycheck for the actors; it was a fairly bold attempt at telling a classic-style fairy tale without the snarky, pop-culture-heavy humor that defined Shrek.
Common Misconceptions (The "Mandela Effect" of Rodent Movies)
- "Wasn't he the main mouse?" No. That was Matthew Broderick.
- "Is this the one where they live in a house?" No, that's Stuart Little.
- "Is there soup in it?" Yes, a lot of it. Soup is a major plot point. The banning of soup in the Kingdom of Dor is the catalyst for the entire drama.
- "Did Steve Carell play a mouse in any other movie?" Surprisingly, no. He's played a hamster in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (sort of, in a joke), and obviously he's been a variety of other creatures, but as far as rodents go, Botticelli is his main claim to fame.
The legacy of the performance
The film currently sits with a middling score on Rotten Tomatoes—somewhere in the 50% range. Critics at the time thought it was too complicated for kids. They weren't entirely wrong. It’s a dark story.
But Carell’s performance is often cited as a highlight. He didn't just "do a voice." He created a villain. Botticelli the Rat represents the cynicism of the world, standing in direct contrast to Despereaux’s optimism. It’s the classic cynic vs. dreamer trope, played out in a dungeon.
How to watch it today
If you're looking to revisit the Steve Carell mice movie, it’s usually available on major streaming platforms like Peacock or for rent on Amazon.
It’s worth a rewatch just to see how much animation has changed. The textures on the rats' fur and the way the light hits the "soup" are still technically impressive. It feels more like a storybook than a video game.
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Actionable insights for fans of Steve Carell and Animation
If you want to dive deeper into this specific niche of cinema, here is how you should approach it.
First, read the book by Kate DiCamillo. It is genuinely better than the movie. It’s more cohesive and explains the motivations of the rats much more clearly than the film had time for. The movie cut a lot of the darker backstory for Botticelli that makes his character even more interesting.
Second, compare the voice work. Listen to Carell in Despereaux and then immediately watch an episode of The Office from 2008. The vocal range is incredible. He was filming the "Goodbye, Toby" era of Michael Scott while promoting this film.
Third, check out the other "forgotten" animated films of that era. There was a weird window between 2006 and 2010 where studios were taking massive risks on art styles. Films like Monster House, Coraline, and The Tale of Despereaux were pushing boundaries before the "Minion-ification" of the industry took hold.
Finally, don't confuse this with Over the Hedge. That’s the other big Carell animal movie from that era. In that one, he plays Hammy the Squirrel. If you’re looking for high-energy, caffeinated Steve Carell, watch Over the Hedge. If you want theatrical, villainous, "I’m an actor" Steve Carell, you want the mice movie.
There is a distinct difference between a squirrel and a rat. Carell knows this. Now you do too.
Next Steps for the curious:
- Search for: "Steve Carell Botticelli voice clips" to hear the difference in his range.
- Check out: The Tale of Despereaux on your preferred streaming service to see the "Flemish Master" art style in motion.
- Read: The original 2003 novel to see what the movie changed regarding the rat hierarchy.