Ratatouille Review

Ratatouille is a smart comedy. This seems like a weird thing to say in relation to an animated movie, but it is a Pixar flick, so I suppose that’s to be expected. I just think it funny that one of the smarter movies I saw this summer happened to be a cartoon. Not that I mind. In fact, this is the type of animated movie I prefer. I’ll take smart cartoon over a Shrek-like comedy any day.

Ratatouille is the story of a rat, Remy, who was blessed/cursed with a sense of taste and lack of fear for humans – both big no-no’s in the rat world. After being separated from his family in a hilarious incident with an old woman and a shotgun, Remy finds his way into the former 5-star Parisian restaurant, Gusteau’s. Here the movie truly beings.

Remy soon meets up with Linguini, your typical hapless – human – loser, who is happy enough to simply have his job as dishwasher and garbage boy. In predictable movie fashion, the two decide to team up: Linguini, who couldn’t cook to feed his own starving mother (if she was still alive), and Remy, the “little chef” who – like anyone (one theme of the movie) – can cook quite well. Shenanigans occur, and things end up like you would expect.

Ratatouille is another strong animated movie from the Pixar studio. While not as funny or fun as The Incredibles or Toy Story, the movie is worth seeing in the theater for nothing other than the incredible CGI animation. The rats are beautifully rendered, and the camera movement places you smack dab in the middle of all the action.

The animated short, “Lifted,” that runs before the feature is quite funny. Not my favorite of the shorts – the one with the dancing lamb still cracks me up – but still worth the price of the theater ticket alone. The short, short preview for Pixar’s next release, Wall-E, about a tiny robot “discovering what he’s meant for” looks very promising.

Whether you are a lover of food, or simply enjoy a smart, animated flick, Ratatouille is a dish worth sampling.