Customer Reviews

Ratatouille

5 star:		(505)
4 star:		(131)
3 star:		(57)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Once again, the creative minds behind Pixar have created enchantment ... possibly their best film in years. Everyone loves Ratatouille...even though he is a rat in the kitchen.

Indeed, the idea of rats in an upscale restaurant would normally have us run for cover. Nevertheless, the movie successfully blends the themes of the Ugly Duckling with Cyrano de Bergerac to come up with a fantastic story. Remy is a simple rat with an extraordinary nose. His idol is a great French chef who lectures on the Food Channel. "Anyone Can Cook" is his mantra. So when Remy and his rat family have to leave their homes, Remy accidentally ends up in the very kitchen of this great Chef. Alas, the great chef has passed away, and the food standards are falling, as well as the Michelin stars. To reverse this trend, Remy - the rat - teams up with a clueless scullery boy in the kitchen to whip up some wonderful recipes. Indeed, the rat's food creations are a hit with the customers. The problem, as in all Cyrano stories, is that no one knows who is really behind those wonderful recipes. And most important, will the most difficult restaurant critic in Paris condemn or praise the food that Remy prepares?

Everything about this film is wonderful...the streets of Paris are recreated in rich colors and exquisite detail. I haven't seen a European city look this good in an animated film since Disney's "Pinocchio." Yes, it is definitely worth experiencing this delight on Blu-Ray. Oh my, even the French copper pots look authentic.

The most wonderful moment of the film is the food review given by Anton Ego - one of the "big" restaurant critics of France - of the menu prepared by the rat chefs. And what is so memorable is how "poetic" his review is. This is a testament to the excellent care to the script writing by the Pixar team.

On another point, I laughed hysterically throughout the film...particularly the times when the rat conceals himself in a chef hat and rides the garbage boy like a cowboy on a bronco. Please don't miss this treat. Highly recommended.

Ratatouille is a beautiful film and a wonderful showcase for your new Blu-ray player. As beautiful as this film was on screen, it's even more breathtaking on Blu-ray. Every detail and subtle color shine. I was truly blown away by the quality of the picture.

As for the film itself, it holds up even better the second or third time around. Definitely a more sophisticated tale than what's usually expected in an animated film. And while really young children may squirm through a lot of this, that doesn't at all detract from the quality of this great film. Creative, amusing, heartfelt and ultimately satisfying, Ratatouille defies the genre - raising the bar once again on American animated films. PIXAR continues to create in an entirely different league than it's competitors. You can't even compare this film to anything else. It makes the ridiculously popular Shrek look, well, green.

Bonus features are entertaining, particularly the well-concieved short on the history of Rats. New Blu-ray Bonus materials let you interact with the film in new ways making the "Making Of" featurette quite imersive. Most of the info is for student's and hard core fans of animation. The short LIFTED also appears on this disc as well as the just released PIXAR SHORTS DVD/Blu-ray.

While it lacks the high adventure and fan-boy characters of some of Pixar's earlier works, Rataouille will be regarded with more and more acclaim as time goes by. Critic's rightfully praised the film in it's theatrical release but American audiences didn't take to it as eagerly as past films. The overseas market has been strong, bringing in quite a bit more Internationally than other Pixar hits, which is an interesting side note I think. What it says about American tastes and tolerance for animation that isn't Happy Meal ready is sobering.

Considering the Disney empire was founded on a mouse, it would be harsh to dismiss Ratatouille simply because it's about a rat as even the most rodent-phobic will be melting for this charming dish.

This is Pixar's second collaboration with Disney since it's fusion. And while Ratatouille may lack the pioneering invention and sardonic wit of some of Pixar's previous films, there is plenty to enjoy.

Ratatouille has a culinary flavour as it tells the story of Remy, a rat with a passion for cooking. Much of the film is set in the kitchen of Gusteau's, a restaurant so realistically rendered it's possible to almost smell the mouthwatering aromas lingering around.

Remy is possessed with a more sophisticated taste than his brother Emile and the rest of his rat colony. He is visited by the ghost of his cooking hero, Gusteau, whose motto is 'Anyone can cook' and encourages Remy to use his catering skills to rescue his restaurant whose reputation has floundered since his passing.

Once there, Remy befriends Linguini, the garbage boy. Hiding under Linguini's chef's hat, Remy indicates the talentless boy how to create fabulous dishes, quickly raising both Linguini's and the restaurant's reputation. Ratatouille cleverly explores the restaurant world with its envious rivalries and turbulent kitchen politics. Through stories of jealousy, intrigue, friendship and love, Ratatouille tells us what it takes to overcome a lack of self esteem and to become the person (or rat) you were meant to be.

Ratatouille is also filled with other life's lessons. How do you deal with family members who don't see the potential in you? How do you handle people who are emotionally close to you who want you to bend the law for their benefit? Do you become something bigger than you are, or can you achieve the same results by just being honest?

Like any good story, this one operates at many levels. Children will love the simplicity of the message, the funny chases, while adults will love the complexity and reality of the relationships. Ratatouille is the name of a simple peasant food that if prepared with care, will rival anything you can serve in the best restaurants of the world. It is also symbolic of our own lives. It may be simple, but if we lead it with care, love and kindness, it will be as good and valuable as the life of the most notorius man in the world.

Ratatouille tells the most unlikely story of Remy, a rat who disdains garbage and wants nothing more than to cook and eat gourmet food. Ratatouille progresses at a good pace and it held my attention all the way! The animation is excellent and the voiceovers are very nicely done.

When the action begins, we meet Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a rat who must run for safety along with the other rats when they are discovered by the old woman whose attic they inhabit; and this is after poor Remy has already been "relegated" to food inspector to make sure that no food is poisoned. Remy's father only complains that his son Remy is way too picky about food; and Remy's brother Emile (voiced by Peter Sohn) "tolerates" Remy even though he doesn't understand Remy's desire for gourmet food.

After a harrowing, close escape from the woman whose house they inhabited, Remy finds himself alone in the sewers of Paris. He has lost his way and he doesn't know where his fellow rats and his family are. However, he soon discovers that he is underneath the kitchen of his idol chef, Chef Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett) who has written a book entitled "Anyone Can Cook." Eventually Remy wanders into the kitchen and risks his life to see what goes on there, although he is saddened when he earlier discovers that Chef Gusteau is now deceased.

Things become even wilder! Remy saves the day for a young, newly hired garbage boy named Linguini (voiced by Lou Romano); Linguini cooks a terrible soup and Remy secretly adds a few things to make the soup even more then perfect. Pretty soon Remy and Linguini actually form a partnership with Remy hiding under Linguini's chef cap and tugging on Linguini's hair (either left or right with his rat paws) to tell Linguini what to put in the soup to make it wonderful. Linguini's subsequent success is extremely disturbing to the crude, bullying chef in charge Chef Skinner (voiced by Ian Holm). Chef Skinner tries to get Linguini to admit that a rat is behind his success; but Linguini never admits anything even when Skinner gets him drunk.

Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. Will Skinner be able to hide the secret that the restaurant belongs to Chef Gusteau's son--Linguini? What if Linguini and Colette (voiced by Janeane Garofalo), another cook in the kitchen, begin a romance--will this complicate things or help things along? What becomes of Remy--will he stay in the kitchen working with Linguini? Will Remy ever find his family? And what happens when the nasty restaurant critic Anton Ego (voiced by Peter O'Toole) wants to destroy Chef Gusteau's restaurant's reputation? No plot spoilers here, folks--just watch the movie and find out!

The DVD has a plethora of extras. You get an interview with the writer and producer; and there are three deleted scenes. There's also a short animated film entitled Lifted.

Ratatouille is a strong film from Disney and Pixar, although I do agree with other reviewers that the film could have been tightened up a bit to run a few minutes shorter. This is an excellent family movie but there is, of course, the possibility that some won't be enchanted by the images of rats running en masse through restaurant kitchens. However, all of this didn't bother me too much, so I heartily recommend this movie.

This may very well be Pixar's best film and that's no small feat.
I can't believe they could come up with such and incredible movie based on quiet a disgusting subject matter but there is no question the people at Pixar have pulled it off. Ratatouille and the Toy Story movies are the only computer animated movies I can remmember in which I've found myself smiling from begging to end. My favorite scene was probably Remy cooking two omelettes, a large one for his friend, a small one for himself.
I love the fact that, unlike every other animated movie today, Pixar's have no current pop references and also unlike them, they will stand the test of time.
To learn the insipid Shrek 3 made more money than Ratatouille is frankly puzzling and I for one can not find any explanation whatshoever.

Brad Bird's delightful "Ratatouille" has proven yet again what we already know. That is, you don't need a big name or catchy music to make a great animation. All you need is believable characters you can relate to and an interesting story driven by them even though one of the characters is actually a most incredible creation -- a French gourmet rat named Remy, who goes to Paris and establishes friendship with a shy boy working in the kitchen of a (formerly) five-star restaurant.

Brad Bird, who scored a one-two punch by giving us two fantastic animations, anmely "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles," has created one of the most charming characters in the movie history in Remy, a rat who loves cooking more than anything. The lovable rat's colorful facial and bodily expressions of emotions are always amusing to see, with dynamic movements that only gifted animators can create. (Look close at the end of the film and its "No motion capture" credit.)

Not many words are necessary to describe the pure joy of watching this amazing animation. Enjoy the unpredictable story of Remy's adventures plus colorful world of his kitchen. And the film concludes with a strong statement about critic's role, which is quietly done but most biting.

If you're looking for a Blu-ray DVD that you and your kids can enjoy equally, you can't do better than this one. Silly, sophisticated, full of surprises and a joy to watch, "Ratatouille" is not only the best animated movie of 2007, it's also the year's best family film. Better still, its scenes are often full of detail, which will make it a Blu-ray treat.

The character animation is Pixar's best ever. The lead character, a rat named Remy, has the most expressive hand gestures, shrugs and other body language I've seen in a cartoon creature. The compositions, like the ground-level shots of Remy scurrying on a kitchen floor, or the overhead shot of a food critic's office, are simply inspired.

As for the story, after watching a celebrity chef on television, Remy the rat, a rodent blessed with an exquisite sense of smell and taste, dreams of becoming one himself. And soon he does, after he is accidentally swept into a storm drain, washes up near the most famous restaurant in France, and comes up with a delicious soup recipe. Teaming up with Linguini, a lowly dish boy, Remy fulfills his dream, in a funny, moving tale about fulfilling your potential against all odds.

The best scene? When Linguini has to reproduce Remy's soup himself, the rat helps him out by hiding in the boy's chef hat, steering Linguini around a kitchen by yanking on his hair like a puppeteer. It's physical comedy at its best.

This Blu-ray version has two special, Java-based bonus features:
* "Cine-Explore" is an in-movie Java feature that lets you customize your viewing experience with animation briefings, documentary shorts and deleted scenes.
* In "Gusteau's Gourmet Game," when the orders are stacking up in Chez Gusteau's kitchen, you help Linguini move quickly from station to station to prepare the right meal.

It also includes all the bonus features found on the non-Blu-ray disc, which include:

* The Pixar short that appeared with the film in theaters, "Lifted," in which a novice alien pilot tries to abduct a sleeping human
* Some deleted scenes, with introductions by screenwriter and director Brad Bird.
* A second animated short, "Your Friend the Rat," starring Remy and his brother, Emile.
* "Fine Food and Film: A Conversation with Brad Bird and Thomas Keller," a featurette with the California celebrity chef who served as a consultant to the film.

Websites that track positive and negative reviews from the major critics register a positive score of at least 95% for Ratatouille, clearly putting it at the top of the films of 2007. Is it the best film of the year? No, but it's the one with the greatest appeal, as nearly everyone will consider viewing it to be a positive experience.

Ratatouille follows Remy, a curious rat who aspires to be more than a garbage thief. Remy's acute sense of smell and appreciation for food attract him to the culinary arts. By stealing what he can from a elderly homeowners appreciation for cooking shows and books, Remy becomes a devotee of one of France's most famous chefs, Auguste Gusteau'. After Remy learns that Gusteau died years and he had been watching reruns of his television program, the little rat begins to be guided Ben Kenobi-like by the spirit of the dead chef.

Following the spirit eventually leads him to Gusteau's former restaurant, which has been taken over by a artless capitalist who uses Gusteau's image to sell frozen burritos and corndogs. By using a young kitchen worker as a medium, Remy tries to rebuild the reputation of Gusteau and return his restaurant to its glory.

The resulting action is an often charming tale of a rat as much devoted to finding himself as achieving his goal. Lots of laughs are found when his family shows up looking for handouts, and the chief antagonists (the owner and a food critic) create real dramatic moments of peril. Remy is truly a film "hero", someone devoted to a cause that he believes will make the world a better place. Although lacking the heart of the Toy Story films or the comic brilliance of the first Shrek, Ratatouille continues the trend of the animation renaissance that has provided some of the best films of the last decade.

This film deserves 10 stars! I loved it so much! I will reserve final judgement until I see it again but after one viewing I think it is my favorite Pixar film yet! It was just absolutely brilliant in every way!

Unfortunately, this DVD release is very lacking. I miss the double-disk versions Pixar used to come out with. And where's the Brad Bird commentary?

I have a feeling we will be double-dipped into a 2-disk version in the not-so-distant future, or that Disney is selling out to BlueRay and are thus saving all the good stuff for that. Sad.

Since Amazon hasn't listed the extras I thought I would help them out.

Extras:

* The Pixar short that appeared with the film in theaters, "Lifted," in which a novice alien pilot tries to abduct a sleeping human
* Some deleted scenes, with introductions by screenwriter and director Brad Bird.
* A second animated short, "Your Friend the Rat," starring Remy and his brother, Emile.
* "Fine Food and Film: A Conversation with Brad Bird and Thomas Keller," a featurette with the California celebrity chef who served as a consultant to the film.

Remy is an ordinary rat with extraordinarily acute senses. This leads him to a love of the finer flavors food has to offer, much to the puzzlement of his garbage eating brethren. His father has made him the clan's rat-poison detector, but Remy secretly yearns to become a great chef, and he risks life and limb to learn how by getting dangerously close to the human world. One night, however, things go horribly wrong and the whole group is forced to scatter from the cottage they have been furtively inhabiting. Remy soon finds himself separated from the others, being swept away through the sewer system and coming up under a fine restaurant in the heart of Paris. It's a dream come true for Remy, but when he can't control his urge to tamper with the dishes, he soon finds himself in a deceptive partnership with the hapless new garbage-boy, Alfredo Linguini. With Remy literally under his hat, Linguini quickly becomes the hot new chef in the city of light! But his boss, head chef Skinner, smells a rat, and the famed food critic Anton Ego poses no less a danger; not to mention the health inspector!

To the Disney animation fan, "Ratatouille" may evoke memories of a cartoon short called "Ben and Me," or even the classic story of Cyrano de Bergerac. But, don't sell this film short based on that. It's full of originality, heart, fun, excitement, and charm! Heavy on the Euro-atmosphere, and appropriately so, "Ratatouille" dives deep into the world of the culinary arts, making it a perfect film for an age when Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray are household names and shows like "Iron Chef" are hot stuff! Patton Oswalt is the star of the show as the perfect voice for the endearing Remy the rat, whose desire to be a great chef fuels his hope for a world where humans and rats can live together with mutual respect. The entire film is a feast for the senses in itself, as one always expects from PIXAR, and I definitely would call it several steps up from their last offering, "Cars," which I found to be enjoyable, but not quite up to expectations (storywise). "Ratatouille," on the other hand, is fairly unpredictable, smart, and thoroughly enjoyable, and, in my opinion, among PIXAR's best stuff. Director Brad Bird's animation track record remains excellent!

Also worth mentioning is the deeper level to the film's story that may click with animation fans if they dare to take a closer look. "Ratatouille" could almost be called PIXAR's autobiography, telling the story of how a little studio that was bringing something new to the table had to stand on the shoulders of a giant and struggle to earn respect and a following amidst doubting peers, patrons, and critics. Deceased master chef Gusteau is clearly a take on the great Walt Disney himself, with his restaurant representing the Disney Studios trying to keep the magic going without him (and sticking to his proven recipes). Of course, looking at the film in that light puts an entirely different spin on it and opens the gates to all sorts of fascinating ideas as to just what PIXAR is saying about whom.

This thankfully widescreen DVD edition, unfortunately, is less than worthy of the masterpiece it holds. Probably in an effort to encourage upgrading to Blu-Ray, but perhaps for other reasons, PIXAR has really gone downhill in the extras department. There are some sweet ones, but so few in comparison to previous releases, particularly those two-discers that came out prior to the "Cars" DVD. All this edition offers are 3 deleted scenes (though nicely put together), 2 Easter Eggs, a featurette where director Brad Bird and chef Thomas Keller talk about their passions for their work, and the highlights, two original animated shorts. The first short is "Lifted," the theatrical short that was shown with "Ratatouille." This is a cute, physical comedy short about an alien abductor in training who is having trouble beaming up his sleeping victim. The second one I found HIGHLY enjoyable. It's called, "Your Friend the Rat," and is a hilarious lesson in rat-history hosted by Remy and his brother, Emile. What makes this particularly enjoyable is how its random art styles hark back to the days of Ludwig Von Drake and shorts like, "It's Tough to be a Bird." A wonderful treat for the fan of classic Disney animation, and a fine compliment to another outstanding PIXAR feature achievement.