Rating of
4/4
A Must See For Any Fan of Fine Dining
Arek - wrote on 07/02/08
I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I believe this is one of the finest animated movies ever produced in America. That being said, Ratatouille is at best an above-average children's movie. The real genius of Brad Bird is the way that he subtly introduces adult themes into movies that pretend to be oriented toward children. This is clearly more evident in some movies (like the Iron Giant), than in others (like the Incredibles). Throughout Ratatouille you will also find a vast array of humor that only adults will appreciate. Even the basic premise of the story - fine dining - is something I would wager the average child in America knows very little about (nor wants to).
There are several themes to Ratatouille. As in the Incredibles, Bird once again emphasizes a rejection of conformity in society. He emphasizes the pursuit of ones own happiness over the best interests of a group (and ultimately shows how that works in the best interests of society anyway). In this particular film, Bird issues a scathing portrait of the critical profession (which is ironic, given the critical acclaim Ratatouille received).
The voice acting in the movie is superb. Peter O'Toole's narrative toward the end of the movie is masterful. I'm not sure any other actor alive today could have done a better job. Additionally, for a movie that has very little action, the animation in the film is flawless. The pictorial visualizations of France set a great atmosphere. My only minor complaint is that the story, although on the whole excellent, does seem to drag a bit during the middle of the movie (particularly for a children's movie).
Overall though, a must-see for anyone that realizes animation is not only for children.
