One of the most original films I've seen in years

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2007)

I entered the theater for "Ratatouille" hungry. Yeah, my stomach sort of was craving that buttery, salty, hydrogenated fatty taste of popcorn. But aside that--I was hungry for a fantastic animated film that has been absolutely raved upon by distinguished critics and average moviegoers alike. Hungry just like a food critic is about fine French cuisine.
Mmm, and did I leave the theater full of what I wanted (not only the popcorn!) Quite bluntly, "Ratatouille" is one of the most original films I've seen in recent memory, and also one of the best movies so far of 2007.
The film deals with a rat named Remey living in the French suburbs. Remey isn't any ordinary rat...unlike the tastes of garbage which his family and friends crave, Remey wants REAL food...human food, as he initially calls it. When he and his family are kicked out of this quaint town, Remey finds himself in Paris, with a new friend called Linguini, a human, who is the pimply-faced teenaged janitor for a highly regarded classy 5-star French restaurant.
The problem is, Linguini wants to be a chef. And since Remey knows how to cook (and damn well) he teams with Linguini by hiding under his chef hat, controlling his actions (by pulling on his hair) to create the best food in Paris.
Hilarity ensues. Truly, I expected nothing less from master filmmaker Brad Bird, who brought us The Incredibles, and some of the early days of The Simpsons. The directing is very well-done, the screenplay is superior, and the voice talent is absolutely BRILLIANT. Peter O'Toole plays the hungry, evil, most cynical food critic around and executes the role seamlessly (and painfully funny too, if you're familiar with his other work as I am!) Sometimes absolutely hysterical, sometimes the "awwwh" moment of feeling sorry for someone, sometimes downright absurd--like fine food, it's got something for everyone. I saw it with my little brother, who happens to be six years old, and the movie was silly enough to keep him entertained and sophisticated enough to keep me and my dad laughing throughout.
Ratatouille is indeed worth all the hype it's collected in the month it's been released. See it on the big screen before it leaves theaters for good--and then you'll see this one at the Academy Awards!