Computer animation taken up a notch

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2007)

It is one thing to take the animation up a notch, as the film does fantastically. But they have also increased the sophistication of the story telling.
Right on par with Bird's other films for Disney/Pixar, Ratatouille makes excellent use of characters and story. There is enough to keep the kids entertained (the usual Pratt falls, chases, etc), as well as an ever growing sophisticated humor and story telling that opens up the general audience to enjoy the film, not just the kids.
Back in the 2nd golden age of animation (mid-late 80's to late 90's) Disney was able to tap into a wider audience by providing state of the art animation with more complex stories. As the computer age was ushered in, once again Disney rose to the occasion a long with Pixar. Though with their last outing CARS, they took a step back, here with Ratatouille they regain the momentum again.
The strange thing about Ratatouille is there is no easily marketable tie-in toy. Of course, that hasn't stopped the Disney folks from trying to peddle stuffed rats. But for the first time a film of theirs has to totally sell itself by story alone and that makes this a very successful movie in my opinion. It does succeed without the tie-in.
Voice work across the board is spot on. There are no highly recognizable actors lending voice talent to remove you from the world. Ratatouille creates a world that you stay within. This could bring about similar voice casting in the future where some known voices are used, but the leads, as is the case here, are filled with mostly unknowns.
Great job overall!