Ratatouille (pronounced rat-a-too-wee) is the latest animated offering from the Disney and Pixar stable. This has been released in Belgium earlier than the UK, where it opens on October 5 , and 5 of us went to see it on a wet Saturday afternoon - 2 adults, 8- and 6-year old girls and a 3-year ... Read review
As good a film as Pixar has ever put out,Ratatouilleis a frantic, innovative movie, ... more
boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen.Ratatouilletells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legen...
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As good a film as Pixar has ever put out,Ratatouilleis a frantic, innovative movie, ... more
boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen.Ratatouilletells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legen...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
In Pixar's new animated-adventure Ratatouille a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a ... more
great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of P...
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As good a film as Pixar has ever put out,Ratatouilleis a frantic, innovative movie, ... more
boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen.Ratatouilletells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legendary cook Gusteau, that anyone can cook. The deceased Gusteaus ghostly image appears to Remy, and guides him to his restaurant, whose standards have been slipping since his death. Remy, through the manipulation of a lowly restaurant worker called Linguini, soon starts secretly cooking the food, and this unusual set up proves to be a trove of treasures that Pixar carefully picks through.Ratatouilles trick is to tie its cutting edge animation techniques to old-school essentials. At times harking back to the frenetic style youd expect of Chuck Jones, it threads an original narrative through its story, which itself is packed with memorable characters (none more so than Peter OTooles superbly-voiced restaurant critic). It perhaps runs a little too long, but its so well-written and so lavishly entertaining that its a churlish complaint to have.For in an era of cynically-produced family movies,Ratatouilleis really something special. With an appeal that spreads across generations, and a quality that puts it right up there with Pixars finest, its an outstanding piece of cinema, and one set to be enjoyed for many, many years. Unmissable. --Simon Brew
Postage & Packaging:free Super Saver Delivery Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As good a film as Pixar has ever put out,Ratatouilleis a frantic, innovative movie, ... more
boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen.Ratatouilletells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legendary cook Gusteau, that anyone can cook. The deceased Gusteaus ghostly image appears to Remy, and guides him to his restaurant, whose standards have been slipping since his death. Remy, through the manipulation of a lowly restaurant worker called Linguini, soon starts secretly cooking the food, and this unusual set up proves to be a trove of treasures that Pixar carefully picks through.Ratatouilles trick is to tie its cutting edge animation techniques to old-school essentials. At times harking back to the frenetic style youd expect of Chuck Jones, it threads an original narrative through its story, which itself is packed with memorable characters (none more so than Peter OTooles superbly-voiced restaurant critic). It perhaps runs a little too long, but its so well-written and so lavishly entertaining that its a churlish complaint to have.For in an era of cynically-produced family movies,Ratatouilleis really something special. With an appeal that spreads across generations, and a quality that puts it right up there with Pixars finest, its an outstanding piece of cinema, and one set to be enjoyed for many, many years. Unmissable. --Simon Brew
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Great animation, good plotline, funny in parts, plenty for adults and children Disadvantages: Can drag in places, not side-splittingly funny
Ratatouille (pronounced rat-a-too-wee) is the latest animated offering from the Disney and Pixar stable. This has been released in Belgium earlier than the UK, where it opens on October 5 , and 5 of us went to see it on a wet Saturday afternoon - 2 adults, 8- and 6-year old girls and a 3-year old boy. The title of the film is a play on words, drawing the attention to food and rats.
==== WHAT IS IT ABOUT? ====
Remy is ... ...best. To its credit, Ratatouille is not a vehicle for one particular star.
==== DID WE ENJOY IT? ====
The verdict of the adults was that it was a 6 or 7 out of ten. The film has a running time of 110 minutes (almost the same as Cars which also felt long), and in the middle it seemed to drag a bit. On the whole, we have seen worse, and the many sub-plots are tied up well, and there are some amusing bits for adults. I ... more
Ratatouille (pronounced rat-a-too-wee) is the latest animated offering from the Disney and Pixar stable. This has been released in Belgium earlier than the UK, where it opens on October 5 , and 5 of us went to see it on a wet Saturday afternoon - 2 adults, 8- and 6-year old girls and a 3-year old boy. The title of the film is a play on words, drawing the attention to food and rats.
= WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
=Remy is a rat with a special talent - he has a nose for different flavours of food, and longs to experience the whole universe of taste. However, his sole role seems destined to be poison checker for his colony of rats, until he ends up on his own in Paris. Enchanted by the chance of experiencing the wonders of capital of cuisine, and led on by the legendary figure of Gusteau (the great figure of chef who died after losing one of the stars from his gourmet restaurant's 5 star rating), Remy ends up in Gusteau's former restaurant. At the same time, Alfredo Linguini arrives, desperate for a job and clutching a letter of recommendation from his recently deceased mother, who was very close to Gusteau. Linguini is taken on to take out the garbage, but through a series of mishaps, ends up cooking soup in the gourmet restaurant. Certain disaster is only saved by the intervention of Remy. When the soup wins critical acclaim, the situation becomes more critical - Linguini needs the rat to tell him how to cook, the rat needs the human to fulfil his dreams.
The scene is thus set for the rest of the film, set against the commercial ambitions of Skinner, Gusteau's successor in charge of the restaurant and potentially the rightful owner under the terms of the will. However, Skinner sees the future in microwave meals for the American market, in betrayal of Gusteau's ideal of everyone can cook and should aspire to the finest cuisine. However, as the good reviews start drawing customers and interest back to the restaurant, Skinner tries to assess whether Linguini is for real, or whether there is some ulterior motive relating to the terms of the will.
The kitchen's sole female chef, Collette, is asked to take Linguini under her wing, but rivalry and prickliness comically turns to into something more. But whose dreams will be fulfilled - Skinner's, Linguini's, Remy's or even the other rats who come looking for their former colony member? Will Remy and Linguini's mutual dependence on each other remain a secret, or what unforeseen implications will its disclosure have?
= CHARACTERISATION AND PLOT
=
The character of Linguini, who goes from loveable loser to lucky winner and then starts believing his own publicity is engaging, and is not wholly two dimensional. Remy also struggles to come to terms with who he is, and is pulled between the rat's justifiable mistrust of humans and his symbiotic relationship with Linguini which blossoms. Skinner is mostly the copybook pantomime villain, but there is just a hint of a broader picture, as he is genuinely curious about the meal that has to be serves for the critic. Anton Ego is portrayed in such a way as to paint critics as the perennial villains, yet again there is just a chink of enlightenment at the end.
There are quite a few layers to the plot, such that I found it difficult to give a short summary with enough information to give a good picture of the plot, without (hopefully) giving away too much of the plot. The summary I have written barely scratches the surface of the last hour. The various strands are brought together with typical Disney aplomb, and with a healthy dose of Disney schmaltz. (Incidentally schmaltz is the Yiddish word for goose fat, which is used to add flavour, and there is an expression "to fall into the schmaltz pot" meaning to have unexpected good fortune - a good metaphor for this film.) The main plotline is strong enough for the young children to follow, while there are plenty of twists and turns and nice touches for the adults to get their teeth into.
=ANIMATION AND SOUNDTRACK
=
The onward march of computer assisted animation continues. The definition of the characters is excellent, the humans being depicted is similar forms to those in the Incredibles. The fur on the rats seems very sharp, but the most impressive animation comes with the wide scenes of Paris. Here real footage seems to merge seamlessly with animation, particularly at night with the car headlights blinking in the distance.
The soundtrack is pretty unremarkable, which considering what could have been down in the way of hackneyed accordion music is not such a bad thing. Instead, the only music I remember was one passage accompanying typical scenes from Parisian life, with music which could have accompanied a Renault Clio advert.
The voices were good, and I admit to not noticing any particularly distinctive voices. However, there are several big names - Ian Holm, Peter O'Toole, Janeane Garofolo and Brian Dennehy to name the ones I know best. To its credit, Ratatouille is not a vehicle for one particular star.
= DID WE ENJOY IT?
=The verdict of the adults was that it was a 6 or 7 out of ten. The film has a running time of 110 minutes (almost the same as Cars which also felt long), and in the middle it seemed to drag a bit. On the whole, we have seen worse, and the many sub-plots are tied up well, and there are some amusing bits for adults. I particularly liked the coffin-shaped office of the critic Anton Ego.
The two girls loved it and want to see it again, the older one saying she prefers it to Evan Almighty, which is high praise indeed. There are plenty of high-speed chases throughout the film, but I wouldn't say there were many belly laughs. My 3 year-old got restless in the middle, but the last half hour held his attention up to the end.
= A FILM TO BUILD BRIDGES
=There has been much hype over here about this film, since the press have decided this is a movie to build bridges between American public opinion and France, which reached its nadir during the build-up to the Iraq War with Chirac's arrogance towards US allies in Europe, French fries being renamed "Freedom Fries" and the infamous Simpson's quotation about "cheese-eating surrender monkeys". Here, the town by the American film makers towards France and the French is warm, bordering on the reverential. Quite simply, the film takes as its starting point the French's own view of themselves - that France has the best cuisine in the world, Paris is the culinary capital and is the city of lights, lovers and romance. Even one of the villains of the piece, the critic, helpfully is given an English accent, to help the audience know he's one of the bad guys.
The French press in particular has taken to the film, and you can see why. Everyone likes to see someone else portraying them as they would like, and after 5 years of antipathy, this is like a reconciliation between feuding relatives. There is very little by way of negative stereotypes, except that Americans know and care nothing for good food.
= OVERALL EVALUATION
=This is definitely a winner for all the family, although not Pixar's best. The animation is phenomenally good, the plot more intricate and subtle than most. I feel that there were fewer laughs than other Pixar films, but it is suitably life affirming and uplifting. Gusteau's motto was "everyone can cook", which is refined over the course of the film to great talent for cooking can be found anywhere. Thus the spirit of the great chef lives on, even if the form the dream takes changes.
Overall 7/10
= TRIVIA
=Some, but not all of these from imdb.com
- The animation team worked alongside chef Thomas Keller at his restaurant French Laundry in order to learn the art of cooking. Mr. Keller also appears in a cameo role as the voice of a patron at Gusteau's.
- During a street scene, there is a mime in the background, who is the character "Bomb Voyage" from The Incredibles, also directed by Brad Bird.
- When the rats are trying to drop a gargoyle onto a car, it looks like Victor, from the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Skinner, who tries to put Remy in a Box, is named in reference to the behavioural psychologist B.F. Skinner, who was known for the "Skinner Box", where rats were placed and trained to push a button for food.
- The plot line referring to Gusteau's death may have been inspired by the case in Paris of Bernard Loiseau, who committed suicide when it was it was rumoured that his restaurant, La Côte d'Or, was going to lose its maximum three-star Michelin rating.
= PRACTICAL DETAILS
=Running time: 110 minutes (including credits, which have no outtakes or particular jokes)
UK Certificate: U
Main character voices:
Patton Oswalt - Remy Ian Holm - Skinner Lou Romano - Linguini Brian Dennehy - Django Peter O'Toole - Anton Ego Brad Garrett - Gusteau Jeanane Garofolo - Collette
Co-directors - Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
Writers - Brad Bird, Jim Capobianco, Emily Cook, Cathy Greenberg, Jan Pinkava
Advantages: Witty, gentle, sincere, unique and brilliantly choreographed Disadvantages: It will be made into a sequel and the magic will all fade away
...was understandably keen to see Ratatouille as well. After all, if a rat can do it surely it shouldn't be to difficult for a three year old…
Directors: Brad Bird (also writer) and Jan Pinkava
Voices: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garotalo
Production Team: Disney Pixar Animation Studios
Genre: Family/Comedy/Animation
UK Release date: 12th October 2007
Classification:
Run Time: 1hr, 50mins
Summary:
... ...unrecognizable. Unlike many animated films, Ratatouille didn't have loads of whacky, out there in your face humour. It wasn't about slap-stick and easy laughs. Instead, it had a gentle feel reminiscent of early Disney Films with a twist of the continental class thrown in. The writers took their time getting to the punch line and as a result I found myself enjoying the intricate details that supported the eventual punch line. As a film, I thought ...
ally2kc 15.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ratatouille (DVD)
Advantages: Amazing animation, great gag ratio and good vocal performances. Disadvantages: Perhaps a trifle overlong.
Remy is a rat completely in love with food and cooking. So when he finds himself in Paris he heads to Gusteau's - the restaurant of the late, great Auguste Gusteau, whose motto "Anyone can cook" inspires Remy to have a go. But rats aren't the most welcome visitors in France's top-class eateries. So when the rodent is discovered in the kitchen, it is down to well-meaning but inept garbage boy Linguini to dispose of him. But the would-be chef can't ... ...up a plan that will allow the rat to cook through Linguini. Their system isn't without a few hitches, but the pair manages to pass themselves off as the greatest chef in Paris.
Pixar have been at the forefront of computer-generated animation for many years and the quality of their latest offering shows why. The attention to detail in background texture alone is breathtaking. There is so much going on in every shot it's difficult to take everything ...
afy9mab 30.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ratatouille (DVD)
Advantages: Fast-paced, beautiful animation, great story. Disadvantages: Absolutely none.
Director: Brad Bird
Co-Director: Jan Pinkava Screenplay: Brad Bird
Story: Jan Pinkava
Genre: Animation - Adventure - Comedy - Family Country: USA
Certification: U
Language: English
Released: 11th February, 2008 (DVD)
MAIN CAST (VOICES):
Patton Oswalt (Remy) Lou Romano (Linguini) Brad Garrett (Gusteau) Janeane Garofalo (Colette) Ian Holm (Skinner) Brian Dennehy (Django) Peter Sohn (Emile) Peter O'Toole (Anton Ego)
Remy isn't your average ... ...cans, and God forbid that any previously used or tainted food make its way past his buck-teeth! Nope, Remy is a rat of distinction, a fine food connoisseur and a culinary genius. When Remy is separated from his extensive family and ends up in Paris, as luck would have it, in the sewers beneath Auguste Gusteau's renowned restaurant, he is, literally, in rat heaven. One night, as he is chatting (and spying inside the restaurant's kitchen) with his ...
GoFigure 30.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ratatouille (DVD)
Advantages: Great animation Disadvantages: Story drags in some places
...first saw the trailer for Ratatouille I was desperate to watch it but it was only yesterday that I got around to actually watching it when the DVD was released.
*~*The Characters*~*
Remy a rat with a dream to become a Chef he differs to his friends and family in that he has a distinct smell and creativity that makes his dishes so successful but he is still a rat and he has many obstacles to overcome before he can reach his life long dream. Linguini ... ...and the humans featured in Ratatouille but if that is my only complaint the film must be pretty good.
Ratatouille is most definitely a family film and I am sure that any viewer will enjoy the ending of this film and the animation once again is superb and there are definitely some funny moments in this film that work well combined with romance and friendship.
Another success from Disney Pixar. Also published on Dooyoo under the same user name ...
KELLYLOUJ 12.02.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ratatouille (DVD)
Advantages: Great entertainment Disadvantages: none
...does not however mean that Ratatouille is too heavy or boring. On the contrary, there are many important life lessons (especially for adults!) to be learned out of the movie, but Pixar puts these lessons forward in a very entertaining manner. At no point will you want to reach for the remote control and switch the movie off. It is always sad to see a great movie end, but I particularly loved the fact that the movie does not end when you expect it ... ...up to the movie duration, much to the delight of the audience. Trust me, this is not a movie that you will want to end quickly! The characters are all endearing, sassy and realistic. Remy is of course the main figure in the movie but other minor characters also form up to contribute towards some elements in the plot. Pixar remains true to its light plotting, and so even the villain in the movie does not appear extremely Machiavellian or grotesque ...
diamond_sparkles 28.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Ratatouille (DVD)
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Advantages: Fantastic Quality Colours and Sharpness ... Keeps the whole family ammused. Disadvantages: None I have found
ever manage to keep the little chef a secret?
Special Features:
Gusteau's Gourment Game - I have not listed all the special features .. as there are so many... but thought I better let you in on one of the best. This game is a delightful way to end the evening. It is very much a click or coffe type game , where your main objective is to find all the ingredients on the list for the recipe. Lots of laughs and lots of fun for the whole family.
My Final Word :
I would definetly say that Ratatouille on BluRay is worth every penny. We have had it for 6mths now and watch it on the PS3, on a HD Television. I find the quality fantastic and we have watched it many times with the children. Still would watch it again. ...
Advantages: Great Story, Voice Acting, Visuals and Special Features Disadvantages: None
Ratatouille is a fun family movie for all ages. This is a definate must buy weather on DVD or Blu-Ray.
The story is about Remy (Voiced by Patton Oswalt) who enjoys food and enjoys making it. He learns how to cook from videos of his idol the late Auguste Gusteau (Voiced by Brad Garrett). After being chased Remy got split up from his family and ended up in paris. This is where he finds Gusteaus resturant and decides to help a clumsy Alfredo Linguini from losing his job afta the kitchen thought of him being a top class chef. The only catch is that Remy is a mouse.
On Blu-Ray the movie looks brilliant. The disc is also filled with tons of extras like picture in picture commentary throughout the whole movie. Some behind the scenes during the movie, Deleted scenes and some short films. The disk comes in a holographics sleve which looks ...
Advantages: Funning, moving, imaginative Disadvantages: Too few and too insignifant to mention
One of the homework activities suggested by my son's school as part of their 'Space' topic, was a review of a film set in space, such as WALL-E. In solidarity, I have decided to write a review of the same film.
WALL-E is the most recent film from the Disney Pixar studio, the computer animation wizards who gave us Finding Nemo, Cars and Ratatouille, all of which our family have thoroughly enjoyed. The film was released in 2008 to critical acclaim and the DVD was released in time for Christmas - my sons got a copy as a gift.
The film is set in a world abandoned by humans because 'trash' has taken over. The WALL-E bots were designed to clear up the earth's surface, whilst humans took off in huge cruise liner style space ships. Something has gone wrong, though, as there is now only one WALL-E robot (maybe some one missed him when they ...
sonic0209 30.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wall-E
Contains comic violence and one use of mild language
Video Category
Disney Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINM; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
All New Exclusive Short: 'Your Friend the Rat', Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director, Brad Bird, Fine Food and Film: Director Brad Bird and critically acclaimed chef. Thomas Keller Documentary, Original Theatrical Short: 'Lifted', Easter Eggs
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital
Professional reviews
Review
That feeling you have as you leave the cinema - that buzzing in the fingers and lightness in the heart - is called joy (Empire, 13/12/2007)
DVD Description
Disney and Pixar combine for this animated tale, which follows the exploits of a French rat who dwells in an upmarket Parisien restaurant. Remy has great dreams of becoming a world-class chef, despite disapproval from his family, and the fact that he is the restaurant world's worst enemy - vermin itself! It seems his dreams will never become a reality until fate finds him living in Paris beneath one of the city's most elegant eateries.
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