In Ratatouille, Brad Bird, a rare disappointment (Iron Giant, The Incredibles), strikes again with a sweet, not-just-for-kids comedy. Of course, the movie began with a very funny short film called Lifted, which truly spoke to my inner sci-fi nerd. Cute, little aliens…I’m there. Ratatouille, the story of an artistically frustrated rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt) trying to make it in the world of Parisian culinary arts, brings about a sigh of relief for moviegoers thus-far disappointed with summer blockbusters. “Finally!” you will exclaim, “A movie this summer that didn’t grossly fall short of my expectations!”
The animation was vibrant and scarily realistic, especially in the scenes with swarms of rats scurrying around kitchens. I could almost smell the delicious food cooking up on the screen. Bird has cleverly balanced making animation look real and still keep that cartoony, fantasy feel. Remy’s big eyes, cute nose, and squeaks really win you over, but just when you resolve to get that pet rat, the words TUBERCULOUSIS or BUBONIC PLAGUE sporadically flash across your mind, and that is a tribute to the very realistic animation. It would be gross, if it wasn’t so cute.
But animation is not everything. Let us not forget the hemorrhoid-twisting torture of sitting through Shark Tale. The story, like rats, is warm and fuzzy, but not overly-sentimental. It is a film about friendship, equality, and following your dreams. To not like this movie you must either have no sense of humor or a cold, cold heart. Excluding The Grinch, Senator Palpatine, or Dick Cheney, everyone will enjoy this movie.
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