Somehow familiar, but also altogether unique, "Ratatouille" is the best animated film since "THe Lion King"

Rating: 10/10 (11 July 2007)

Ratatouille's protagonist, Remy, explains near the beginning of the film his love of food: "Each flavor was totally unique. But, combine one flavor with another, and something new was created."
This philosophy can apply perfectly to Ratatouille. The film is composed of very familiar elements--the love story; an underdog's triumph; family turmoil; scheming businessmen-- but all of these different elements are combined in such a way that an entirely new and wonderful thing is created. As any chef can tell you, too much or too little of any element can kill a dish. Ratatouille's strength is in its balance. Each of the separate story is given its room to develop, and they complement each other as a white wine complements risotto.
Ratatouille is also Pixar's most mature venture yet; the film is a story first and a comedy second. Instead of pouring too much sugar into the film in gag upon gag, the filmmakers allow the plot's inherent charm to keep the audience entertained.
And entertained the audience remains. The movie is long for an animated feature--at nearly two hours, the film may test the patience of younger viewers. However, the story flows with an adroitness rare to animated features--the story does not feel hurried, as The Lion King does, nor does it feel drawn out, as does Cars.
Pixar also demonstrates that it is far and away the leader in CGI technology; crusty, bubbly French bread is given all of the texture and detail it deserves; Paris and its kitchens come alive in vivid, exacting detail. But Pixar's greatest wisdom is in leaving its humans as cartoons. No human could portray the lovable gawkiness of Linguini, nor the Napoleonic inferiority of Skinner, nor the grave mortality of Ego. By allowing themselves to make the characters caricatures of themselves, the filmmakers are injecting more character development than any amount of exposition could.
Ratatouille's name is rather fitting; in the hands of a lesser chef, ratatouille is a simple, unexciting dish. But in the hands of a great artist, that simplicity can be used to create something extraordinary.