One key point: if you can get over the natural gag reflex of seeing hundreds of rodents swarming over a restaurant kitchen, you will be free to enjoy the glory of Ratatouille, a delectable Pixar hit. Our hero is Remy, a French rat (voiced by Patton Oswalt) with a cultivated palate, who rises from his humble beginnings to become head chef at a Paris restaurant. How this happens is the stuff of Pixar magic, that ineffable blend of headlong comedy, seamless technology, and wonder (in the latter department, this movie's views of nighttime Paris are on a par with French cinema at its most lyrical). Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) doesn't quite keep all his spinning plates in the air, but the gags are great and the animation amazingly expressive--Remy's shrugs and nods are nimbler than many flesh-and-blood actors can manage. Refreshingly, the movie's characters aren't celebrity-reliant, with the most recognizable voice coming from Peter O'Toole's snide food critic. (This fellow provides the film's sole sour note--an oddly pointed slap at critics, those craven souls who have done nothing but rave about Pixar's movies over the years.) Brad Bird's style is more quick-hit and less resonant than the approach of Pixar honcho John Lasseter, but it's hard to complain about a movie that cooks up such bountiful pleasure. --Robert Horton
Stills from Ratatouille (Click for larger image)
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 A Feast for the Eyes |
| Review Date: November 7, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Jerrod Maruyama, San Jose, CA USA |
Ratatouille is a beautiful film and a wonderful showcase for your new Blu-ray player. As beautiful as this film was on screen, it's even more breathtaking on Blu-ray. Every detail and subtle color shine. I was truly blown away by the quality of the picture.
As for the film itself, it holds up even better the second or third time around. Definitely a more sophisticated tale than what's usually expected in an animated film. And while really young children may squirm through a lot of this, that doesn't at all detract from the quality of this great film. Creative, amusing, heartfelt and ultimately satisfying, Ratatouille defies the genre - raising the bar once again on American animated films. PIXAR continues to create in an entirely different league than it's competitors. You can't even compare this film to anything else. It makes the ridiculously popular Shrek look, well, green.
Bonus features are entertaining, particularly the well-concieved short on the history of Rats. New Blu-ray Bonus materials let you interact with the film in new ways making the "Making Of" featurette quite imersive. Most of the info is for student's and hard core fans of animation. The short LIFTED also appears on this disc as well as the just released PIXAR SHORTS DVD/Blu-ray.
While it lacks the high adventure and fan-boy characters of some of Pixar's earlier works, Rataouille will be regarded with more and more acclaim as time goes by. Critic's rightfully praised the film in it's theatrical release but American audiences didn't take to it as eagerly as past films. The overseas market has been strong, bringing in quite a bit more Internationally than other Pixar hits, which is an interesting side note I think. What it says about American tastes and tolerance for animation that isn't Happy Meal ready is sobering. |
A Rat Chef Dishes Up Delights...Bon Appetit!
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| Review Date: August 29, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Gerard D. Launay, Berkeley, California |
Once again, the creative minds behind Pixar have created enchantment ... possibly their best film in years. Everyone loves Ratatouille...even though he is a rat in the kitchen.
Indeed, the idea of rats in an upscale restaurant would normally have us run for cover. Nevertheless, the movie successfully blends the themes of the Ugly Duckling with Cyrano de Bergerac to come up with a fantastic story. Remy is a simple rat with an extraordinary nose. His idol is a great French chef who lectures on the Food Channel. "Anyone Can Cook" is his mantra. So when Remy and his rat family have to leave their homes, Remy accidentally ends up in the very kitchen of this great Chef. Alas, the great chef has passed away, and the food standards are falling, as well as the Michelin stars. To reverse this trend, Remy - the rat - teams up with a clueless scullery boy in the kitchen to whip up some wonderful recipes. Indeed, the rat's food creations are a hit with the customers. The problem, as in all Cyrano stories, is that no one knows who is really behind those wonderful recipes. And most important, will the most difficult restaurant critic in Paris condemn or praise the food that Remy prepares?
Everything about this film is wonderful...the streets of Paris are recreated in rich colors and exquisite detail. I haven't seen a European city look this good in an animated film since Disney's "Pinocchio." Yes, it is definitely worth experiencing this delight on Blu-Ray. Oh my, even the French copper pots look authentic.
The most wonderful moment of the film is the food review given by Anton Ego - one of the "big" restaurant critics of France - of the menu prepared by the rat chefs. And what is so memorable is how "poetic" his review is. This is a testament to the excellent care to the script writing by the Pixar team.
On another point, I laughed hysterically throughout the film...particularly the times when the rat conceals himself in a chef hat and rides the garbage boy like a cowboy on a bronco. Please don't miss this treat. Highly recommended. |
another great movie courtesy of Pixar and Disney
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| Review Date: May 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Matthew G. Sherwin, last seen screaming at Amazon customer service |
Ratatouille tells the most unlikely story of Remy, a rat who disdains garbage and wants nothing more than to cook and eat gourmet food. Ratatouille progresses at a good pace and it held my attention all the way! The animation is excellent and the voiceovers are very nicely done.
When the action begins, we meet Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a rat who must run for safety along with the other rats when they are discovered by the old woman whose attic they inhabit; and this is after poor Remy has already been "relegated" to food inspector to make sure that no food is poisoned. Remy's father only complains that his son Remy is way too picky about food; and Remy's brother Emile (voiced by Peter Sohn) "tolerates" Remy even though he doesn't understand Remy's desire for gourmet food.
After a harrowing, close escape from the woman whose house they inhabited, Remy finds himself alone in the sewers of Paris. He has lost his way and he doesn't know where his fellow rats and his family are. However, he soon discovers that he is underneath the kitchen of his idol chef, Chef Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett) who has written a book entitled "Anyone Can Cook." Eventually Remy wanders into the kitchen and risks his life to see what goes on there, although he is saddened when he earlier discovers that Chef Gusteau is now deceased.
Things become even wilder! Remy saves the day for a young, newly hired garbage boy named Linguini (voiced by Lou Romano); Linguini cooks a terrible soup and Remy secretly adds a few things to make the soup even more then perfect. Pretty soon Remy and Linguini actually form a partnership with Remy hiding under Linguini's chef cap and tugging on Linguini's hair (either left or right with his rat paws) to tell Linguini what to put in the soup to make it wonderful. Linguini's subsequent success is extremely disturbing to the crude, bullying chef in charge Chef Skinner (voiced by Ian Holm). Chef Skinner tries to get Linguini to admit that a rat is behind his success; but Linguini never admits anything even when Skinner gets him drunk.
Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. Will Skinner be able to hide the secret that the restaurant belongs to Chef Gusteau's son--Linguini? What if Linguini and Colette (voiced by Janeane Garofalo), another cook in the kitchen, begin a romance--will this complicate things or help things along? What becomes of Remy--will he stay in the kitchen working with Linguini? Will Remy ever find his family? And what happens when the nasty restaurant critic Anton Ego (voiced by Peter O'Toole) wants to destroy Chef Gusteau's restaurant's reputation? No plot spoilers here, folks--just watch the movie and find out!
The DVD has a plethora of extras. You get an interview with the writer and producer; and there are three deleted scenes. There's also a short animated film entitled Lifted.
Ratatouille is a strong film from Disney and Pixar, although I do agree with other reviewers that the film could have been tightened up a bit to run a few minutes shorter. This is an excellent family movie but there is, of course, the possibility that some won't be enchanted by the images of rats running en masse through restaurant kitchens. However, all of this didn't bother me too much, so I heartily recommend this movie.
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Delightful Film from the Director of "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles"
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| Review Date: September 17, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Tsuyoshi, Kyoto, Japan |
Brad Bird's delightful "Ratatouille" has proven yet again what we already know. That is, you don't need a big name or catchy music to make a great animation. All you need is believable characters you can relate to and an interesting story driven by them even though one of the characters is actually a most incredible creation -- a French gourmet rat named Remy, who goes to Paris and establishes friendship with a shy boy working in the kitchen of a (formerly) five-star restaurant.
Brad Bird, who scored a one-two punch by giving us two fantastic animations, anmely "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles," has created one of the most charming characters in the movie history in Remy, a rat who loves cooking more than anything. The lovable rat's colorful facial and bodily expressions of emotions are always amusing to see, with dynamic movements that only gifted animators can create. (Look close at the end of the film and its "No motion capture" credit.)
Not many words are necessary to describe the pure joy of watching this amazing animation. Enjoy the unpredictable story of Remy's adventures plus colorful world of his kitchen. And the film concludes with a strong statement about critic's role, which is quietly done but most biting. |
Best Reviewed Film of 2007
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| Review Date: January 15, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Wesley Mullins, Kentucky |
Websites that track positive and negative reviews from the major critics register a positive score of at least 95% for Ratatouille, clearly putting it at the top of the films of 2007. Is it the best film of the year? No, but it's the one with the greatest appeal, as nearly everyone will consider viewing it to be a positive experience.
Ratatouille follows Remy, a curious rat who aspires to be more than a garbage thief. Remy's acute sense of smell and appreciation for food attract him to the culinary arts. By stealing what he can from a elderly homeowners appreciation for cooking shows and books, Remy becomes a devotee of one of France's most famous chefs, Auguste Gusteau'. After Remy learns that Gusteau died years and he had been watching reruns of his television program, the little rat begins to be guided Ben Kenobi-like by the spirit of the dead chef.
Following the spirit eventually leads him to Gusteau's former restaurant, which has been taken over by a artless capitalist who uses Gusteau's image to sell frozen burritos and corndogs. By using a young kitchen worker as a medium, Remy tries to rebuild the reputation of Gusteau and return his restaurant to its glory.
The resulting action is an often charming tale of a rat as much devoted to finding himself as achieving his goal. Lots of laughs are found when his family shows up looking for handouts, and the chief antagonists (the owner and a food critic) create real dramatic moments of peril. Remy is truly a film "hero", someone devoted to a cause that he believes will make the world a better place. Although lacking the heart of the Toy Story films or the comic brilliance of the first Shrek, Ratatouille continues the trend of the animation renaissance that has provided some of the best films of the last decade.
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