Starring: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Janeane Garofalo, Brad Garrett, Will Arnett

Directed by: Brad Bird

Disney

The Official Site of Ratatouille

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I love a good animated movie, and I think that a lot of adults feel the same way after realizing they’re not just for kids anymore. Sophisticated characters and high-end animation are regularly offering experiences to inspire and entertain children of all ages. There’s no shortage of animation these days with an average of two or three a month being featured on screens, cereal boxes, and fast food promotions. And there’s nothing wrong with that because the forgettable ones make you appreciate the truly exceptional ones. Two days after watching Disney Pixar’s latest offering Ratatouille, I can’t decide if it’s worth struggling to find that exceptional quality or if I should just let it go and look forward to an animated feature that’s easier to admire. The film is far from bad, but with Pixar, a company synonymous with the best visuals and storytelling in all of animation, should we settle for anything less than something to remember?

Whatever qualms I might have with the movie (I’ll get to it. It’s not as bad as you think), there’s no bones about it – Pixar is the best animation studio working today. They’re masters. I was wowed right off the bat as the film goes into “rat perspective� with extended scenes of our hero Remy (Patton Oswalt) dashing through the sewers and building interiors of Paris, as well as a later scene through the very busy, very dangerous kitchen that would soon become his new home. These scenes are fast paced and whimsical in a way reminiscent of early Woody Allen movies. Honing in on this pure form of classic fun comes off as second nature to the Pixar crew who include moments like these in ever one of their productions. It’s important to note that the swiveling, uninterrupted camera flow in such tight locations could never have been filmed in real life. It could only be animated. And that may seem like an obvious observation, but I point it out because it really shows that Pixar really knows how to take advantage of their medium.

But the beauty of the film doesn’t end with what other films can’t do, they put their best foot forward with the things we take for granted like character design and surface texture. The water in Ratatouille might as well be real. It’s almost too real. It makes Finding Nemo seem like practice, and it makes nearly ever other animation studios attempt at water seem like someone shaking a piece of blue paper and spitting at you.

They clearly know what they’re doing. Fur, hair, skin blemishes, little food stains on the counter tops… it’s all there, and it’s all Grade A. Best in the business. It’s a given. It’s expected. So how’s the story?

It’s ok… Writer/director Brad Brid who picked up the project halfway through the story process is the magic man at Pixar hitting a huge bulls eye with The Incredibles, arguably the best-animated movie of all time. But this fish out of water story about vermin passionate about food felt slightly off target.

Remy is a country rat with a love of the fine cuisine and an excellent sense of taste. Suddenly he is separated form his heard (Pack? Flock? Gaggle? Whatever a group of rats is called.) and finds himself in Paris, the center of fine cuisine in the known universe! Once there he can’t resist adding his culinary skills to the soup pot of the nearest restaurant, and of course it goes over huge with a well-timed food critic. The credit of the masterful dish is given to the restaurants garbage boy, Linguini ( Lou Romano ) who witnessed Remy’s skills and comes up with the genius plan of the two working together to be the best chef in town. It’s so crazy that it just might work!

If only our two heroes themselves weren’t certifiably insane. You see, in a town with no rats Remy has resorted to talking to himself via the ghostly image of his dead human mentor, (CRAZY!) and just in case you forgot, Linguini is taking orders from a rodent (DOUBLE CRAZY!)

It wouldn’t be so bad accept that the only character that’s even remotely on to their scheme, the restaurant’s head chef voiced masterfully and unrecognizably by Ian Holm, is made out to be the true crazy one. It’s to be expected. He is the villain after all, but when two head cases make a legitimately sane person lose his mind, you have to ask yourself, “Who’s really the bad guy in this situation?�

Thankfully kids, and sane moviegoers, won’t overanalyze a children’s movie to the point where this becomes a distraction, and they’ll be able to enjoy the characterization for what it is. And for the most part it’s great. I felt like Oswalt as Remy was a very realized and loveable rat. And his extended universe including everyone from his dim but unconditionally supportive brother Emile, to the scene stealing Peter O’Toole as the ridiculously named food critic Anton Ego, all came through very well to me. I liked Remy’s little world even if I didn’t especially care about what happen next, and was disappointed when it refused to end.

For, as good as characters came off, the story is a little dry, and one problem after another (why does love always have to be an obstacle?) extends the movie past it’s welcome. At just under 2 hours, Ratatouille will test the patience and bladder of your children, but if you have to take them out for a walk or a tinkle, you won’t have any trouble slipping back into the films storyline. Though if your kid’s are up for it, you’d be better off slipping into Transformers.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Ratatouille losing some appeal because humans almost universally despise the featured critters. Ask anyone what their first reaction upon seeing a rat would be and you’ll get one of two answers. Scream or Attack. (For me it’s both. I’m a vocally aggressive.) But I don’t see much to the cartoon rats scaring away audiences. The character design is strong enough where in limited numbers you’ll be able to see past the way they move and skulk, and let their true characteristics shine through. In large numbers though, they’re dangerous. They look real, and as a group of rats, when they flee together, the reaction of the audience is far from, �Oh, well isn’t that the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen in your entire life?� Instead you’ll here plenty of gasps, and maybe even see a few people roll up their cuffs. That may make you laugh, but theaters are a hotbed for rodent activity. It’s all bags of popcorn and cheese wiz. It’s like Disney Land to them.

There’s a lot to admire in Ratatouille, things I look forward to revisiting one day, though I can’t say I’ll actively seek it out any time soon. The movie is sweet but forgettable, and while I could find bits and pieces to praise for days… I just don’t care to.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 - Fans of this movie are very passionate and I admire them for that. I also don’t want them to take anything negative I said in the review too harshly. There’s a lot of love up there. And just as I dig for the good in a bad movie, I’ll also dig for the bad in a good one. It’s just the nature of the critique.

Also, I highly recommend Ratatouille! If only for Horst’s thumb! See, now people have to go see the movie to know what I’m talking about.

Pixar films used to be a standard in my DVD pick-ups, but that all stopped a few years ago. I found myself with a bunch of animated movies I was never watching. For whatever reason, the replay ability on movies like Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo isn’t especially high. They’re still great movies but I just can’t force myself to learn the same life lessons over and over again even if they do look spectacular. I’m sure that once I have babies of my own I’ll be pushing the Pixar library on them with great enthusiasm, but until then… I’ve got Netflix… I’ve got the Disney Channel… that should hold me over.

I wasn’t nearly as excited to see this movie as comic Joe was. My enthusiasm is pure fiction for the sake of the joke. You see how I grossly misrepresent myself for you people? Truthfully, I wasn’t excited in the least bit and it shames me, because it was for the worst reason of all –everyone else was.

People were freaking out over this movie before it even came out. It was like a Ratatouille bukkake online and I couldn’t stand it anymore. A movie neither “sucks� or “rules� until you’ve seen it and can decide for yourself, but the inter-nerds had already awarded Pixar and Brad Bird a couple of choice Oscars. I’m not saying that if Bird dose end up with golden statues bookending his rare collection of first print whatevers, it wouldn’t be well deserved. But let’s wait for the movie to come out before we completely write off those poor lost souls that worked for years on Surf’s Up. Ratatouille did great and it was fun so I did a lot of fretting for nothing, but I dread the next Pixar release because I’m sure the love explosion will happen all over again. And after Cars… I’m the definition of hesitant.

Holy crap Transformers was a lot of fun. So many problems with character arcs, but enough robot punching excitement to knock my socks, pants and hat completely off my body. Don’t wait for my review - just buy your tickets now.

The review will be up soon, but I’ve been having trouble coming up with a comic. A really great strip that properly pays tribute to the kind of movie it is. There’s a lot of pressure to come up with good comics for these big summer movies and I’m not sure I’ve hit the mark with them. Some I’ve drawn a complete blank on and I’m coming close to the point where I’ll have to abandon them. (Fantastic Four 2, I still love you!). I do have something done for Transformers, it’s just not awesome. …I might have to double up. Put up the review now with the less than awesome strip, and then come back swinging with my A material during the DVD releases in the fall. I should really plan these things out ahead of time.