Weakest of the Pixar films

Rating: 6/10 (10 July 2007)

Title of this review aside, I found Ratatouille to be highly entertaining and generally solid.
That said, there is a major structural flaw that ruined the film for me: Remy's marionette control of Linguini crossed the line. First, it's just a little creepy but okay, whatever.
In every Pixar film where our heroes have interacted with humans (toys, fish, bugs) the heroes appear to act normal, at least from a human perspective. Not here. In Ratatouille, our non-human hero actually controls a human.
I can live with the communication between Remy and Linguini -- it's necessary. But the puppeteering was a deal breaker for me.
The only other complaint I have about the film is that it's a bit expository for my taste. But food, though we all enjoy it, can be a complicated topic and some explanation necessary.
Voice acting, animation, story -- all superb. Especially what I consider to be one of the hardest things to show: how food tastes. The moment when the grim eater tastes Remy's creation -- brilliant.
Hope to see better work next time, Mr. Bird. But thanks again for a great evening's entertainment.