Ratatouille really rocks. This rodent tale, written and directed by Brad Bird of Incredibles fame, is one powerful film. When I first saw the previews, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t interested. I thought it was going to be the worst of the Pixar lot (Cars currently holds that honour in my opinion). Instead, I have to report this as, by far, the best thing to come out of Pixar, ever. In fact, this may be one of the best films to come out of Disney in years. It’s not Lion King, but that’s not fair because Lion King is a classic for the ages.
I must tell you, this film may be a classic for the ages as well. I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this film. It worked on every level. It worked as a cartoon, because it is a cartoon. It worked as a kids’ film because the kids were all entertained. It worked as an adult film because there were some very adult innuendos and double-entendres, some that even slipped by the censors judging by the “G” rating.
I wish I could tell you about some flaws in the film, but there aren’t any major flaws. Sure, there are some bits that seem rushed, but at 110 minutes you’re at the outer-reach of attention-span for a “kiddie cartoon.” And the credibility of a talking rat that cooks is absurd, but so are the talking animals in Lion King, the fish in Finding Nemo, and the toys in Toy Story. You can’t hold that against a film, or you’d not like Lord of the Rings either.
I can honestly tell you, go see this film. Twice.