Remy is a rat cursed with a refined palate. While his family and friends chow down on any garbage they can lay their filthy paws on, Remy walks on his hind legs to keep his front paws clean and hankers for a mix of ingredients that will tantalize his taste buds. An unfortunate incident separates him from his clan and lands him smack dab in the middle of Paris, close to Gusteau's--the restaurant of that most famous of Parisian television chefs. True, Gusteau had cooked his last when he so tragically expired after his restaurant lost its hallowed fifth star following a scathing review by that most dreaded and powerful of food critics--Anton Ego. But Gusteau's disembodied spirit follows Remy around, perhaps sensing a kindred spirit, or perhaps a figment of Remy's imagination, and encourages Remy to enter his kitchen. After all, as Gusteau was wont to say, “Anyone can cook.” The unspoken corollary no doubt resonates in Remy’s rodent skull: “Even a rat.”

While Remy dithers in Gusteau’s kitchen, a bumbling young man, Linguini, appears, and is given the lowliest of positions by Gusteau’s replacement, the dwarfish meanie, Skinner, who belatedly realizes that Linguini, through unexpected connections, may well be a threat to him. But Remy, being a much better cook than the hapless trash boy, has just rectified Linguini’s botch-up: the soup he’d almost ruined on his first day has been transformed into a delicious concoction by Remy acting surreptitiously. Unable to get rid of Linguini, as all the patrons are clamouring for ‘his’ soup, Skinner is at his wit’s end.

Not as dumb as he appears, Linguini catches on that Remy is a gifted, culinary-inclined rat. The two of them enter into a strange liaison whereby Remy, hidden under Linguini’s semi-transparent toque, manipulates tufts of the young man’s hair, thereby orchestrating Linguini’s actions in the kitchen. The food critic, Anton Ego, on hearing about Gusteau’s renewed popularity, is all set to return for another visit. Skinner catches on to the human-rat double act and calls the health inspector. When Linguini tries to explain to his fellow cooks that a rat has been doing the cooking, not him, they think he’s crazy and leave en masse. With rats all over his kitchen, the health inspector on the doorstep, and the food critic already seated at table, Remy and Linguini must come up with a dish that will not only placate patrons and critic alike, but restore to Gusteau’s the stars that it so deserves.

Pixar has always gone a different direction compared with other animation studios. Eschewing the derivative storylines and pop American culture references that have plagued productions such as Shrek and its sequels, director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) has come up with a refreshing tale set in the City of Lights. The sets are eye-poppingly 3-D and stunningly realistic. Moonlit streets on the banks of the River Seine, with Pont Neuf arching over it, window-framed tableaux of a distant Eiffel Tower set like a jewel in the Parisian night may sound corny, but that does not make them any less beautiful.

The characters are incredibly nuanced in speech and expression: in the scene where Linguini tries to explain to his love-interest, Colette, that he has a rat in his toque that’s doing the cooking, not him, I was captivated by Colette’s reaction to his words—her facial expressions changed so fast and yet so subtly and are so fascinatingly apt considering Linguini’s stumbling choice of words that I was gasping with laughter throughout.

While the voice acting is, for the most part, stellar, the French accent in most cases is over-done. Food critic Anton Ego is voiced by Peter O’Toole, who gives a triumphant masterpiece of voice acting. Remy himself has a wonderful collection of Gallic shrugs—never before or again will you see a rat with such range. Or one who follows his dreams so tenaciously despite pressure from family and peers. Ratatouille is that rarest of animated gems: a story with charm and originality that will appeal to adults with its nuances as much as to children with its delightfully-drawn characters. Highly recommended for humans of all ages.







Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4