Here is a very ordinary family animation that gets an almighty engine rev from its all-star British vocal cast. Gemma Arterton is the voice of Edda, a perky little mouse who lives with her dad (a lovely performance by Lenny Henry), who is trying to keep the family’s struggling theme park afloat. But budding racing driver Edda dreams of becoming a champion like her hero, four-time Grand Prix-winning mouse Ed (voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster).
The film has been produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Europa-Park, Germany’s biggest theme park. But you have to wonder whether the park’s owners have been left feeling short-changed. The theme park in the movie quickly takes a back seat to racing after Edda runs away to Paris to watch Ed compete; he is disliked by the other drivers on the circuit but adored by fans. Brodie-Sangster’s vocal work as Ed is terrific, nailing a type of arrogance particular to the sporting world – equal parts diva and crashingly dull bore.
