Ratatouille Review

Released: Friday, June 29, 2007

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First off let me preface this review by saying I am not the biggest fan of Pixar. I feel that that previous story lines have been weak. Even though Pixar's movies have always been somewhat entertaining, they've never reached the the level of classic Disney animation and storytelling. However, with Ratatouille, I saw a story that begins to rival classic Disney movies such as Dumbo and Pinocchio.

Ratatouille is directed by, Academy Award™-winning director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) it is the ultimate tale of finding discovering and being true to yourself.

Despite his family's objections Remy, the rat, sets out of fulfill his dream of becoming a chef and enjoying the finer things in life. His dreams seem to be within reach when he ends up living beneath the restaurant of his culinary hero, Augusted Gusteau. Remy quickly forms a bond with Linguini, the garbage boy. Without revealing too much Remy and Linguini's adventures turn the Paris food scene upside down.

In true Disney/Pixar storytelling Remy learns about friendship, family and to be true to oneself.

The computer animation from Pixar is once again simply amazing. It seems that with every film Pixar takes computer animation to a new level (including a new cg effect called squashy and stretchy). I wouldn't be surprise if this cg effect was used in more Pixar films. Pixar has always paid attention to detail, and this time they really did their homework. The city of Paris has never looked so beautiful on the silver screen and the 3D food makes your mouth water and your stomach growl.

Ratatouille is definitely a movie for all ages, and is as touching and moving as any Pixar picture movie has ever been (this reviewer even got a little choked up and teary eyed by the film ending scene

Hidden Mickey Alert

Be sure not to keep an eye out for the hidden Mickey. Hint – Linguini will help you find it.

-- Nathan M Rose

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Ratatouille Character Sheet

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REMY (Voiced by Patton Oswalt)
Rats are no strangers to rejection, but Remy, a rat who longs to be a great chef, has more than the usual obstacles to overcome. His remarkable sense of smell and genius for combining flavors puts him head and shoulders above most human chefs. However, in the rat world he's resigned to a life of being the "poison sniffer," using his unique talent to pick out the "safe" garbage for his family to eat. Remy hates the idea of stealing and eating garbage at all; he considers himself a maker, not a taker. When he's not out scrounging around for the few gourmet scraps he can safely get his hands on, he is busy poring over his most prized possession, a battered cookbook by the late, great chef Auguste Gusteau. When circumstances literally drop him in the kitchen of Gusteau's, his idol's world-famous restaurant in Paris, France, Remy finds himself living his dream of cooking, albeit unconventionally, in a real kitchen.

LINGUINI (Voiced by Lou Romano)
Linguini, a timid and well-meaning young man, is the new garbage boy at Gusteau's. After going through a series of ill-fated jobs, Linguini is desperate to hold onto this one, which he sees as his last hope. A chance encounter with Remy thrusts Linguini into a highly unusual "ghost-cooking" relationship, in which he provides the gangly brawn for Remy's culinary brains. As Remy's food attracts more and more attention, the pair is subjected to increasingly intense scrutiny. But for Linguini, the opportunity to spend time around his new mentor, Colette, makes all the stress manageable… barely.

COLETTE (Voiced by Janeane Garofalo)
Colette is the toughest chef and the only female in the kitchen at Gusteau's. Her grit, talent, and intimidating air have brought her far, but years of climbing the ladder in the male-dominated world of haute cuisine have made her wary and self-contained. At first, she is exasperated at being assigned to "babysit" Linguini as he begins his trial period as a chef. But as time passes, Linguini's vulnerability and guilelessness begin to win her over.

SKINNER (Voiced by Ian Holm)
Skinner, whose modest physical stature belies a domineering, even sadistic personality, is the chef in charge at Gusteau's. Once the sous-chef to Gusteau himself, Skinner assumed control of the restaurant and business when the great chef died without an heir, and promptly set about exploiting Gusteau's reputation with an extensive and mercenary line of Gusteau-branded products, from pizzas to frozen burritos. He's driven the restaurant, once a temple of culinary art, into a profitable but soulless luxury meal machine.

EMILE (Voiced by Peter Sohn)
Emile, Remy's brother, is a rat's rat—a little overweight and good-natured, he's a lover of life and all things edible and inedible. He doesn't always understand the finer points of his brother's obsession with good food, but he is always ready to support Remy on one of his harebrained errands, or cheer him up when he is feeling low. His bottomless and appreciative appetite makes him the perfect audience for Remy's culinary delights.

DJANGO (Voiced by Brian Dennehy)
Django, Remy's father, is the patriarch of the rat clan. Django expects his oldest son, Remy, to one day take over the responsibilities of leading and providing for the extended rat family, but he is frustrated by his son's finickiness and reluctance to eat perfectly good garbage. To Django, it's clear that "humans = death" and a restaurant kitchen is no place for Remy to be hanging around, not to mention cooking. Out of the question.

GUSTEAU (Voiced by Brad Garrett)
The late Auguste Gusteau, France's greatest all-time culinary genius, is the author of Anyone Can Cook, the cookbook that inspired Remy to dream of becoming a chef. His restaurant, in Paris, France, became a landmark on the strength of Gusteau's imaginative vision and masterful preparation, which simultaneously honored and played with the traditions of French cuisine. Gusteau died mysteriously soon after his restaurant was downgraded from five stars to four stars (by Monsieur Ego), but his spirit lives on in his recipes and in Remy's imagination — the great chef is a recurring figure as Remy's imaginary soul mate and counselor.

EGO
(Voiced by Peter O 'Toole)
Anton Ego, the most powerful food critic in Paris, can make or break a restaurant with a single review. The sight of his dour, colorless, and unsmiling face strikes fear into the heart of even the most complacently successful of culinary celebrities. Chefs have become so afraid of displeasing "The Grim Eater," as he is commonly known, that no one dares to change a menu without his blessing. Ego has grown accustomed to this power over the years and by now regards it as his due.

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