Fantastic animation that builds on previous Pixar films.

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2007)

When I first saw The Incredibles in theaters I thought, "This is computer animation at its best. Pixar can only go down from here." Cars proved me right. But Ratouille's detail and splendor has built on the success of The Incredibles. The action scenes are breathtaking and Pixar turns cooking into an exhilarating nerve-racking experience. The characters are likable though none of them are particularly memorable except Anton Ego, who is voiced by the brilliant Peter O'Toole. And Ratouille is even better because there is something missing that has been in Pixar movies for years: The annoying supporting character with the voice of nails on a chalkboard. I'm talking about characters along the lines of Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo and Billy Crystal in Monsters Inc. Thankfully there is no such character in this film. Ratatouille's story is simplistic but the movie is aimed at a younger audience after all. There are funny scenes, the animation is gorgeous, and there are some important lessons in the film (the importance of art, accepting difference, don't forget where you came from, etc).