Ratatouille: movie review

By Peter Tran, staff writer
Friday, August 31, 2007

Brad Bird and Pixar have collaborated to cook up this summer's hottest family flick. Together, the two have created a pleasing visual treat for the whole family, young and old.

At first glance, a movie about a rodent cooking in a kitchen couldn’t seem interesting at all. But who can resist the slapstick humor and pure entertainment that Pixar is known for? Like its predecessors (Monster’s Inc. and The Incredibles), Ratatouille is satisfyingly heart-warming, with it's tasteful, witty comedy all while feeding the audience the wonderful story behind a rat searching for its identity and his human best friend.

Remy, perhaps Bird's alter-ego, is a rat that possesses an exquisite love for fine cuisine. He stands out from the rest of his clan because of his culinary genius and knowledge of ingredients. After an unfortunate event separates him from his family, Remy eventually finds himself in Chef Gusteau’s (his idol) restaurant in Paris. He decides to abandon the life of a garbage eater to pursue his career in culinary arts in this famous restaurant. He meets Linguini, a clumsy garbage boy in the right place in the right time, and he leads him to success. Remy's adventure proves to be inspiring and proves that “anyone can cook,” Gusteau’s famous motto.

Remy forms an unlikely collaboration with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing gift. It is a delight to follow Linguini's transition from the awkward and inexperienced garbage boy to the confident, self assured young man (with great help from his little rat friend of course).

Looking for a visual treat and tasteful comedy served with a side of affectionate and tender morals? Ratatouille is a perfect choice.

Rated G
Score: 8/10
Genre: Animation/Comedy/Family
Runtime:110 min