WesternAnimation A beautifully written animated film with a few weak spots
Ratatouille is, to me, one of the most interesting and unforgettable animated achievements. It unashamedly avoids childish pandering and the generic upbeat style one would expect from an animated adventure, and yet it still manages to fascinate and impress me each and every time I watch it. This isn't an average family film. In fact, I can't even call it a family film, because it almost never feels like one. This is pure, timeless animated art. It's deliciously experimental, intelligently written, sometimes exquisitely poignant, and a bit flawed. However, the little flaws in this movie are very easy to forgive, because a film of this nature cannot be perfect, and doesn't need to be.
Ratatouille succeeds because of its rich and beautiful atmosphere. The animation is exactly the sort of standard that Pixar is good at - a magical combination of eccentricity and breathtakingly realistic design. Presented like a feature-length sitcom, the film goes at a rather slow pace, but it rarely feels like a bore because there are just so many clever plot threads to untangle. Unlike WALL-E, which features godlike animation but also an obvious and annoyingly preachy plot, Ratatouille's plot is like that of a classic novel. The characters are charming, the story constantly changes and evolves, and the film's conclusion is one of Pixar's best.
As previously mentioned, it's an experimental movie with a slightly melancholic atmosphere, but it feels right. However, this is where the flaws come in. While this film is creative, daring, mature and unconventional, it does suffer from having a bit too much story. The plot threads pile up, weave together and merge in ways that can make you lose track of what's going on. Another flaw is with the film's main character, Remy. Sure, he's pretty cute and has good intentions, but his rather pretentious, self-serving attitude can be quite off-putting at times. Finally, we don't really see enough of Paris in the movie. Too much of the movie is set indoors, so it's a shame that we don't see more of the fabulous French capital.
But I like said before, these flaws are easy to forgive, because it's still excellently crafted. The animation is delightful, the intricate story always has me coming back for more, the atmosphere is irresistibly fancy, and the conclusion is heartwarming and deep. No sequel is necessary.
WesternAnimation The Joy of Creation
If you have ever cooked, this movie is for you. If you have ever had food made for you, by someone you love, this movie is for you. If you have created, struggled, fought with your family, or not been sure where you were- this movie is for you.
From the very beginning, this is a film that captivates it's audience- and the prevailing feeling is a desire to see the heroes succeed. Each of them in turn is sympathetic in their own right, and together you wish to see them make their way. Remy, Linguini, and Colette are easy to love, and it's not hard to see a little of yourself in one, of not all of them. Even the food critic Ego, as intimidating as he is, is made remarkably sympathetic by the end.
The portrayal of food and creation is enchanting- you can almost smell the aroma of the busy kitchen. Also this movie brings something new to the concept of 'talking animals'. It;s made clear from the beginning that humans can;t understand Rats- and that Remy;s human affectations are considered unnatural, almost taboo. While the rat society has some aspects of fantasy applied- sentient, the rafts, and the party scene spring to mind- there is the feeling of something real to them.
My family comes from hard places- in the kind of way where it was easy to believe things were the way they could only be. So the struggle of Remy finding a place for himself struck home. There is a scene where his father tries to explain to him his views, using much the same rationale. And when Remy stood against it, I know there wasn't a dry eye in my household.
In short, this movie will make you laugh, and quite likely cry. And with the skills of Pixar behind it, the message is buoyed by beautiful animation as always. And maybe by the end of it, you will feel inspired to pick up a recipe.
WesternAnimation Beautiful, but very predictable.
I'm a little ashamed that I don't like Ratatouille as much as most people do. I found the film very predictable. And the story unfolded based on a succession of very convenient coincidences, which basically gave the protagonist everything he could wish for. Pure chance is in charge of taking the protagonist to the place of his dreams, providing him with an assistant who allows him to exercise his culinary skills, and promotes helping the master of the place with the help of the incompetent villain, and in some inexplicable way, allows him win and win the sympathy of the second antagonist. Only this last point, being so unexplained, raised some questions, about how Remy could know that Ratatouille was such a significant dish for Anton Ego. Remy is a serious contender for the title of luckiest protagonist in the history of cinema, along with Forrest Gump and Inspector Clouseau, with the difference that, unlike these two, he is truly talented, which somewhat disguises the role of luck in the movie. Perhaps the predictability of the film was not so much of an issue if the characters were a little more charismatic. Shawshank Redemption is very predictable, everything that happens in it is what you expect or would like to happen, and even so it is a wonderful film, because the viewer really cares about the characters. Ratatouille, with the exception of Anton Ego and, to a lesser extent, Remy himself, has no interesting characters. Linguini is a generic bumbler who never comes close to being funny like Goofy, Stan Laurel or any of the characters played by Jerry Lewis or Peter Sellers. Colette exists in the story only to be a very obvious love interest for an unattractive character, and what has greatly weakened his character. His love relationship with Linguini was as uncreditable as it was unnecessary to the story. Skinner is just a reissue of Mr. Gilbert Huph of The Incredibles, dressed in a cook uniform, and the trio Pompidou, Larousse and Horst are only part of the scenery, which is unfortunate, because their respective background stories make it seem more interesting than the protagonists.