Ratatouille

I checked out a sneak preview of Ratatouille last night, and I must say I truly loved this movie. Everything from the animation to the score to the voice acting to the story (and especially the story) was EXCELLENT.

I don't know if it appeals to kids as much as other Pixar offerings, but this one upholds their legacy of excellence.

Casting Patton Oswalt as Remy was PERFECT. The rest of the voice cast was outstanding as well...including Pixar "house voice" John Ratzenberger. See if you can tell which guy he is without foreknowledge (as in, don't read the cast list).

Michael Giacchino's score was as perfect for this story as the award-winning one he created for "The Incredibles" and the incredible music he has created for most of J.J. Abrams' recent projects, including "Alias" and "Lost".

Even with my 3-year-old son making it really hard to concentrate, and our "we got to the theater late and had to sit up front" seats, this movie was fantastic. Everyone should go see it, even if they don't have kids.

Brad Bird - you done right by us movie fans again...Ratatouille is great!

I just saw "Ratatouille" tonight.

It's a first class movie. Several thoughts come to mind...

-The character performances are so good, I think there's no sort of movie they couldn't make. I've heard Pixar's John Carter of Mars is going to be live action? No! I want them to do it all animated.

-"Cars" definitely _was_ a lower-value softball they threw to finish out that original Disney-gets-half-of-everything-plus-sequel-rights contract they were in at the time. I remember all the clucking last summer about how Pixar had lost its way.

-There were a few moments when they seemed to lose that stylized reality they had established and things looked merely "real".

-There was one scene in the latter part of the film where I thought "I can't believe they are doing this tired movie cliché" but they pulled out of it at the last second and made it something new.

-The 2D-ish end credits were great. Stick it out to the very end to see the mo-cap disclaimer!

-With this, Brad Bird is certainly one of the animation gods now.

This film is fantastic! Pixar has yet another great film to add to their impressive repertoire. Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Brad Bird, who wrote and directed "The Incredibles", has produced a film with subtle humor, heart, and very profound truth. The voice actors are so great, and it is especially great to hear Peter O'Toole on the screen. The animation is beautiful and it is all around an excellently made film. Its message is one that holds so much truth for everyone, especially today's youth: it tells people that no, not anyone can do anything, but if you have the talent you don't have to be limited by your surroundings or your upbringing. I think this is refreshing to hear because often, children are lied to when they are told they can do anything, when actually not all of them can. But it offers hope to the ones who may feel limited by their social class. It also exposes the fact that most people try to put up false facades of themselves to hide who they are in order to feel accepted by the social standards we create in our society; it shows characters with this flaw, but ultimately they accept this reality and learn to be true to themselves. This thread, I think, is very common throughout the Pixar films, and they present it very well. "Ratatouille" is my new Disney-Pixar favorite! "Ce film a pleine de joie de vivre!"

Remember how everyone was talking about Toy Story when it first came out? The incredible visuals, unique style, vividly imagined world? The next time people were talking that way with such enthusiasm about a computer animated movie was Finding Nemo. I'm excited to say that Ratatouille will be the next one to redefine the visual creativity and technical detail of computer animated movies. Honest to goodness, I was awestruck by the animation, and that never happens to me. It is a visual masterpiece of a movie if ever the term applies.

The next thing to talk about is the "genre" of the movie. As Pixar enthusiasts will tell you, Brad Bird, the director of Ratatouille, also directed The Incredibles, which has the most inspired and creative action sequences from any of the Pixar movies. Ratatouille, while not so straightforward with its action, has almost as much as The Incredibles did, in unique ways. Most memorable is the shotgun scene near the beginning. (You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it). Other than that, this is the expected comedy-with-heart movie from Pixar that so many have grown to love.

The voice acting? Spot on. Every voice is distinctive, and it never feels like a celebrity's voice tacked on to a character (Shrek, I'm looking at you), it feels like the characters themselves speaking. You can't ask for more from voice acting.

And finally, the script and the story. The entire irony of the story -- a street rat with a passion for fine food -- is beautiful, and a tight, smart, wonderful script flows from this. The pacing of the story is odd and choppy at places, but this is a very forgivable grievance. The only other minor fault is that a few of the dramatic one-liners feel a bit forced. Other than that, this is the most layered, complex, and satisfying script from Pixar since The Incredibles.

Overall, I recommend that everyone see this movie when it hits theaters (I was lucky enough to see a pre-release screening). Though not perfect, it is an animated masterpiece in true Pixar form with breathtaking animation and visual design.

10/10

This film is exactly what Pixar needed to steal the thunder from Dreamworks' latest release, SHREK III. In many ways, this is very ironic, as one of Pixar's best films, MONSTERS INC., was overwhelmed when it was released due to the first SHREK's success. I honestly think if SHREK hadn't been such a wonderful movie, people would have noticed that MONSTERS INC. was an exceptional film. Now, Pixar gets some payback with one of their best, RATATOUILLE.

Actually, RATATOUILLE is probably Pixar's best film, though I did enjoy TOY STORY II and THE INCREDIBLES. The reason I was so overwhelmed by this story was that it was so highly original and creative--I simply cannot compare the plot to any other film (something you can do with THE INCREDIBLES and TOY STORY II). Plus, after years of making CG movies, the look is taken to a whole new level in this film--it just looks breathtaking.

Now I need to point out that RATATOUILLE is not as much a kid's movie as its predecessors. Sure, it can be enjoyed by the kids, but the story line is a tad darker and covers an adult concept (illegitimate birth) and includes a swear word (though not one the really "bad" ones, you can be sure). Also, while the rats are kind of cute (and a marketer's dream), most of the rest of the story isn't and there are no catchy kid's tunes. No, instead this film is aimed more at teens and adults in its sensibilities--something that really helped make SHREK a financial gold mine and cursed MONSTERS INC. to be seen (incorrectly) as "just a kid's movie".

Amazing animation, excellent writing and, the rarest of rare, a completely original and captivating plot make this a winner and film that will be long remembered. I can't wait to see it again.