Ratatouille

The story and themes are more multi-faceted than most Pixar films and thankfully comprise more than just the tired ‘follow your dreams’ message.

Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Peter O’Toole, Janeane Garofalo

Insider gossip from Hollywood had ”Ratatouille” pegged as the one Disney executives wanted to fail. Since last year’s purchase of Pixar by the Mouse House, bigwigs John Lasseter and Apple maestro Steve Jobs have held the creative reigns – something the old Disney guard don’t like.

Pixar only needed one flop for Disney President Bob Iger to realise they weren’t King Midas and he’d reign them in, giving the old school animators and creatives some autonomy back.

Unfortunately for them, Pixar movies are like pizza – even when they’re not the best they’re still great. Those hand-wringing 2D animators are going to have to occupy Disney headquarters, lock the new superstars out of the building and hurriedly make and release their own movie – now there’s an idea for a Pixar film.

‘’Ratatouille’’ isn’t Pixar’s strongest film, but you can still see every drop of creative sweat shed to make it as perfect as possible. The locales of a Paris restaurant kitchen, its surrounds and the characters who work in it are all faultlessly executed stylistically as well as technically, so all that’s left to talk about is the story.

Remy lives in the French countryside and really wants to be a chef. He idolises Gusteau, owner and chef of a famous Paris restaurant who maintains that anyone can cook, a philosophy that gives Remy hope.

When he finds himself in Paris right in front of Gusteau’s after being separated from his family, Remy realises his big chance is staring him in the face and decides to let nothing stop him in his dream – not even the fact that he’s a rat.

Forming an unlikely alliance with the gawky new garbage boy Linguini, Remy gets his shot in the kitchen of Gusteau’s despite the forces arrayed against him, from creepy head chef Skinner (Holm) to vampiric food critic Ego (O’Toole).

The story and themes are more multi-faceted than most Pixar films and thankfully comprise more than just the tired ‘follow your dreams’ message. The story isn’t as simple as that of ‘’Monsters Inc’’ or ‘’Toy Story’’ so ‘’Ratatouille’’ isn’t as iconic, so it’s for Pixar fans only. Fortunately for them (and unfortunately for the newly-demoted ink-and-painters), most of us are.

Rating :
Reviewer : Drew Turney