Much more complete than the average movie, Ratatouille is a 7-course meal providing nothing but the best in animation and storytelling

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2007)

The only way this movie could not be enjoyed is if you watch it on an empty stomach. The folks of Pixar deliver what just might be the most complete animated film since Toy Story 2. By complete, we are talking the full course, not just story and humor. With flawless animation, a brilliant score, the best voice talent in ages, an excellent script, a nice story, plenty of humor, a dosage of romance, and a rather surprising amount of realism, and a heartwarming ending, Ratatouille is the best Cinderella story from Disney sinceCinderella. From the director of The Incredibles and from a studio that has delivered hit after hit after hit, it is no wonder why Disney spent so much money purchasing them. This was a tough-to-sell concept executed beautifully, poetically, and just might become the best film of the entire year. The only problem is that this movie sets the bar even higher for animated films from here on out.
Ratatouille follows Remy (Patton Oswalt), a rat who wants to become a good cook instead of a good food thief (like his father and co.) and will attempt to do so with his special smelling abilities. After a mishap where he lives, he winds up underneath Paris, close to the restaurant of his mentor, the recently deceased Gusteau (Brad Garrett). Using the garbage boy of the ex-5-star restaurant Linguini (Lou Romano), he attempts to spread his talent of cooking. Conflicts arise when the head chef Skinner (Ian Holm) suspects the sudden rise of fame in Linguini's cooking and realizes his true worth. More conflicts arise when the only female chef becomes romantically involved with Linguini; Remy is having trouble returning to the lifestyle of a rat, and a well-known yet stern critic Ego (Peter O'Toole) decides to make a return into the spotlight.
What makes Ratatouille stand tall with some of Pixar and even Disney's best works is the heavily detailed animation, that results in some of the most breathtaking chases and scenes and also results in plenty of concealed visual humor (Check out the structure of Ego's office). From the hairs of the rats to the water flowing to the food that looks good enough to eat, this is Pixar outperforming itself in terms of computer animation. Then we have the best casting since Finding Nemo. Once again focusing more on talent rather than star power, we have an excellent cast of actors and actresses providing the voices. The standout performances come from Peter O'Toole (almost Oscar-worthy), Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Ian Holm, and Janeane Garofalo.
The problem with animated films nowadays is their inability to present a story without having to aim low for a joke or referencing the pop culture of the times. Ratatouille is a living, breathing storybook come to life, and this is thanks to the excellent writing of Brad Bird. Bird combines plenty of conflicts with humor, and also a dosage of realism in terms of the way things are run behind the scenes of a restaurant. Unlike previous summer flicks, Bird perfectly handles the multiple villains in the Cinderella story, which nowadays is a complete rarity (Yes, there is more than one "villain" in the tale). Clocking in at just less than two hours, it might be a bit long for tykes but after the rather slow beginning, the movie almost instantly picks up once the setting changes. While the humor isn't as sprinkled as in Nemo or Toy Story, it provides plenty of laughs as well as action, drama, and even a little hint of romance. Linguini as a Pinocchio-like chef provide some of the funniest scenes in the whole movie.
There just aren't enough words to describe just what makes this movie work, it is presented and handled with such delicacy, it keeps Pixar at the top of the animation kingdom, much to the disdain of Dreamworks, the other competitors, and even the animators at Disney. To craft a movie this good requires time, patience, attention to detail, and a desire to push the limits of animation and storytelling. There is no harder-working company in the movie industry than Pixar, and it shows with each and every single movie it has come out with since 1995; including some of the best films of all-time like Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Finding Nemo. If the competitors aren't taking notes right now, it is because they don't desire to be the best.
Bottom Line: You can only raise the bar higher so many times before not even yourself can reach it. This is what happened with Cars and Monster's Inc., and movies like Ratatouille are the reasons why. While the pacing and running time may be a turnoff for some, the excellent visuals and flawless storytelling more than make up for it. Like a full course meal, Ratatouille has a little bit of everything and much more. The Disney magic that was present back when Disney was alive is in full blast here, which is something that non-Pixar Disney movies lately have not been able to provide. Stop reading this and go enjoy the movie. Ratatouille just made Cars look a bit inferior as it becomes the best animated movie in years, and is potentially the best movie of the entire year. In a summer of sequels, a charming story about a rat with a crazy dream rises to the top of the quality heap.