'Justin and the Knights of Valour' Attempts To Break A Crowded Marketplace [Trailer + Pictures]

It’s been a pretty solid year for animated features so far; Wreck it Ralph, Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University all performed solidly with the critics and in the box office. But it hasn’t been all plain sailing – films like Turbo and Escape From Planet Earth haven’t gone down too well.

Can Justin, voiced by Highmore, learn the ways of the Knight?

There was a time when all animated films were basically the best films ever: Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Toy Story(s), Up – but now there seems to be room for some pretty average efforts. Striking up some cute characters with big eyes, pitting them against a baddie and creating a weird little fella for comic relief just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Highmore and Ronan play Justin and Talia

Justin and the Knights of Valour follows a similar recipe to its animtaed counterparts - Justin dreams of becoming a Knight just like his legendary Grandfather, Sir Roland – which makes it difficult to see how it’ll stand out from the crowd.

While Walliams is Melquaide

It does, however, have some pedigree attached to it. Kandor graphics – the Spanish production company behind the colourful bits you see - were mominated for an Oscar® for “Best Animation Short Feature”, 2010 for The Lady And The Reaper. They’re no Disney Pixar, sure, but they have enough about them to at least creative a modicum of anticipation.

Who's this little guy? The comic relief?

Released in the U.K on September 13th – a Friday no less – Justin will do battle with Insidious 2 and Borrowed Time – two films that probably won’t attract his target audience. Luckily, for Justin anyway, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 won’t be hitting the U.K until October 25th, giving it a chance to soak up the ticket stubs for the autumn month.

Bandares plays the not so noble Sir Clorex

The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Freddie Highmore, Mark Strong, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Williams, Charles Dance, Julie Walters and Alfred Molina in an impressive cast. Animation fans in the U.S, though, will have to wait for it to come out on DVD or grab a plane ticket to The U.K, Spain, Holland, Russia, Brazil or Belgium as it’s not coming out stateside, according to IMBD anyway.

Can Justin triumph against the odds?

Check out the teaser trailer for Justin and the Knights of Valour right here