My favorite thing about the low-key and refreshingly unassuming Disney cartoon adventure “Valiant” is the fact there is a Department of Pigeon Propaganda. It’s stupid, but just thinking about it makes me dissolve into quiet giggles. I can’t really tell you why, for a family flick revolving around WWII Carrier Pigeons it’s an obvious gag, but just the idea of department devoted to crafting propaganda for pigeons gets me to smile and chuckle far more than it probably should.

There isn’t much else to say about this pleasing-if-slight animated tale. Brought to us by the people over at Ealing Studios, and yes those are the same folks who made Alec Guinness a star with “The Ladykillers” and “The Lavender Hill Mob,” this is a thin, bouncy and perfectly charming little story about following your dreams and believing in yourself no matter what the odds. While it’s never going to be a classic, or probably even remembered by the time it hits DVD, “Valiant” is still a jovial enough journey sure to enchant children of almost any age.

When undersized pigeon Valiant (Ewan McGregor, essentially using the same vocal mannerisms he did in “Robots”) joins the Royal Homing Pigeon Service (RHPS) his only wish is to help do his part in the war against Germany. It is 1944 and things are not going well for the RHPS, most of the elite squadrons completely wiped out by the vicious falcon regiments led by the evil General Von Talon (Tim Curry, who could probably voice this kind of role in his sleep and still make me laugh). It is a dark time, the only hope for continued success against the fascists resting on the wings of Valiant and the other members of the still-training and shockingly inept flyers of Squad F.

Their superior officer Sarge (Jim Broadbent) knows the team; whose members include the grifter Bugsy (Ricky Gervais) and nerdy scholar Lofty (Pip Torrens); isn’t ready. But at the urging of distinguished hero Wing Commander Gutsy (Hugh Laurie, simply wonderful) Squad F must go into action immediately to help smuggle out a vital message from the war-torn battlefields of France and back to the white cliffs of Dover. Soon, with Von Talon’s merciless warriors hot on their tail feathers, it becomes clear that the biggest heart might just be beating within the chest of the troop's tiniest member.

There isn’t much to say about “Valiant” other than it is smoothly entertaining. Far from perfect, this debut digitally animated entertainment to come out of the UK isn’t cloying or absurdly over-the-top enough to annoy making it far easier to brush past the deficiencies and enjoy the highpoints. The humor in George Webster’s original story is refreshingly simple, using classic British philosophies of comedy to bring the picture home to a comfortable resting place.

Okay, so the animation never rises to the heights of a Pixar or Blue Sky production or either of the “Shrek” films, but who says it has to? “Valiant” has the simplicity of an old-school hand-drawn Disney flick, much of the backgrounds taking on the same painterly air of say “Robin Hood,” “Alice in Wonderland” or “Lilo & Stitch.” There’s nothing eye-popping about any of this, nothing that makes a viewer sit back and say, “Wow!” But, then, it’s just not needed, and the fact everything is simple and smooth only manages to make the movie that much easier to slip into its groove and enjoy.

Admittedly, this is exceedingly slender stuff, and even at just over 80 minutes there are stretches here that seem to take forever to find a conclusion. The whole French resistance portion is snoringly tedious, so little that’s either funny or interesting taking place that this becomes the perfect spot to take a brief ten minute nap. Still, it’s not a major problem, and considering how pleasant the rest of it is I’m not in the mood to pluck too many feathers over it.

That said, those expecting to belly laugh or guffaw their way through this thing should probably look elsewhere. While I giggled quite a bit and smiled from almost start to finish, I don’t think I ever actually laughed out loud. “Valiant” is amusing, almost always entertaining, but it is very, very rarely so funny it could provoke a loud chortle. Those that might happen would all be courtesy of “The Office” (BBC, not NBC, version) star Gervais. He’s the film’s most singularly stellar vocal artist, Bugsy routinely stealing the picture from every single one (including John Cleese and John Hurt) of his more notable costars.

It all comes down to one’s mood. If more overblown, not really story-driven pyrotechnics are your thing, you might as well stay home. If visual ingenuity over scriptural intelligence is what you want, go flock someplace else. But if you’re looking to see a simply silly and enchantingly anachronistic family flick with a solid script and fine vocal work, than “Valiant” just might be the feathered friend for you. It was for me.

Rating: êê1/2   (out of 4)