Rats are cool... just keep them out of my kitchen

Rating: 7/10 (18 September 2007)

I saw this movie over the weekend and well, apart from the weird notion that rats anywhere (let alone in the kitchen) are OK, the Ratatouille was a fun and well produced movie. Made by Pixar, the expectations in lines of animation were given - and it was delivered, but I was also interested in the storyline and weather it would have that whole family satisfaction experience, and like I said kids enjoyed it and so had I.
It is a story of a rat called Remy, who with a very peculiar sense of smell and takes up interest in cuisine. However, his family (a traveling pack of garbage scavengers) doesn't agree with his new liking of humans and cooking. As luck would have it, after one accident the family is separated and poor Remy is left alone with his only and favorite possession- a cookbook of a celebrated (and also deceased) chef Gusteau, who as a figment of Remy's imagination gives him all kinds of guidance and direction. At any rate, one day he finds himself at chef's Guesto's old restaurant which is now run by a seeming su-chef and an interesting kitchen staff and decides to live there and observe how food is made. This is how he befriends Linguini, a new kid that doesn't get any respect, but whose past will soon be revealed as very important in relation to Chef Guesteau. Together, Linguini and Remy take on the cuisine critics to prove that it doesn't matter who you are and where you come from, but if you love what you do and you have a talent- you should go for it! Apart from the inspirational message, I guess it can also make kids more interested in helping moms cook- or have rats as pets.
That said, I wonder whether they could have had a field mouse or any other more pleasant rodent be the main character, since let's face it, no matter how cute they look animated, I doubt this movie will suddenly make me or general folk enjoy rats presence in the kitchen or a back alley. Other than that, great family movie.