Ratatouille: A Rat As A Chef? Sounds Like a *Recipe* For Disaster!
Written: Jul 03 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Original, fresh, funny, French
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Once again, Pixar shows that they know the recipe for success!
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| GravityGirl's Full Review: Ratatouille |
While motherhood has many blessings, I was convinced that the arrival of my beautiful daughter would herald the end of seeing movies in the theatre for the foreseeable future. But thanks to a wonderful program at the local Cineplex (aptly titled Mommy Movies), I can go to the ‘plex every Tuesday morning to see a first-run movie. I can bring the carseat into the theatre with me, and they even have a changing table set up in the theatre!
This week, we saw Ratatouille. The theatre was a little more crowded than usual, probably because of the movie’s popularity.
Ratatouille is the latest film from Pixar. The story follows Remy, a young rat, as he strives to fulfill his dream of becoming a chef. He loves putting together flavor combinations from the scraps that he salvages from the trash heap, but the rest of his family is satisfied with eating the trash from the trash heap. Thanks to Remy’s keen sense of smell, the family is able to avoid eating anything poisoned, and so they thrive.
But very early in the movie, the family is forced from their provincial home, and Remy becomes separated from the group. After some advice a la Hamlet’s father from the ghost of his recently deceased hero (Chef Gusteau), Remy ventures out to follow his dream. He is pleased to discover that he is in Paris, and not too far from Gusteau’s restaurant.
Things are in a sad state of affairs. The new chef has pimped out Gusteau’s name and image to hawk a series of frozen dinners. Remy’s arrival in Paris coincides with the arrival of the young Linguini, who presents the chef with a note and is given the position of “garbage boy”. When no one is looking, Linguini attempts to cook, and the result is disastrous. Remy is forced to intervene, and the soup is a big hit. But Linguini sees Remy cooking, and when the chef asks Linguini to repeat his masterpiece, Remy and Linguini form an unlikely alliance.
From here, the main plot deals with Linguini and Remy attempting to work together, keeping the rest of the kitchen in the dark. There are also a number of subplots: Remy finds himself torn between familial obligations and following his dream. He refuses to listen to his father Django’s warnings that rats and men do not mix. There is also a romance that begins to develop between Linguini and Colette, the only female chef in the kitchen.
Those are the two main subplots but there are several others, one of which is completely underdeveloped and not very well explored. At times, it seems as though there is too much going on at once. As an adult, I had no trouble following along, but I imagine that some of the younger viewers might be a little confused about some of the plot elements.
The animation is very well done, especially when you get a chance to see the rats up close. The attention to detail with the fur on the rats is amazing and very realistic-looking, although I admit not having too much up-close experience with real rats. Pixar’s take on Paris is equally breathtaking, especially during a big chase scene. The franticness of the kitchen at a gourmet restaurant has also been captured. I had to smile every time there was a close-up of the mean head chef- his facial hair looked like it had been drawn on with a charcoal pencil!
It seems that the big trend in animated movies in recent years is to bring on a whole slew of big-name A-list actors. Ratatouille did not go that route; while respected actors with distinguished careers provided many of the voices, the cast remains blissfully free of trendy A-listers. Some of the standout performances include Patton Oswalt as Remy and Janeane Garofalo as Colette.
Ratatouille was an excellent movie. It was fresh and original, as well as sweet and funny. I enjoyed the movie very much, and it put my little baby right to sleep. Once again, Pixar has proven that animated movies do not have to be relegated to the “kiddie fare” category, although unfortunately, that is the case with many films in the genre. While the children in the theatre enjoyed the movie immensely and clapped enthusiastically at the end, I maintain that this movie (like many of the “good” children’s movies) is more enjoyable for adults because of subtle nuances overlooked by younger viewers. However, some of the main messages- such as accepting people’s dreams and the importance of family- are understood by everyone.
I highly recommend Ratatouille. You have the day off from work on July 4th, right? Well, you can’t barbecue for breakfast and fireworks don’t start until after dark. You can spend some time at the Cineplex watching Ratatouille. And if you happen to be reading this after the 4th, then perhaps you should spend some time over the weekend…watching Ratatouille. And finally, if you are reading this review in anticipation of the DVD release, yes, you should add Ratatouille to your Netflix queue. I, however, will be adding this original and funny animated gem to my Amazon Wishlist and I will be preordering the DVD as soon as it is available to do so.
In summation, Ratatouille is a great film for all ages.
Recommended:
Yes
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