Ratatouille.

FILM SYNOPSIS:  In the new animated adventure from the folks who gave us Cars and The Incredibles, a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great 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 city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a hilarious and exciting chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef.

REVIEW:  Pixar Animation Studios is difficult to beat.  The artists and business associates seem to represent the same fun-loving spirit once found at Warner Bros., when all those Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck cartoons were obviously made to make themselves laugh.  Ratatouille displays that same inventiveness and whimsy.  The short that comes before it is hysterical and the main feature is witty, involving and tops in animation.  

For me, there’s just one drawback.  The film is about a rat with human characteristics, a rat who wants to become a chef.  A rat who moves about a restaurant – touching food. Well, we accepted Mickey Mouse, why not Remy the rat, right?  Sorry, but my sensibilities wouldn’t take me that far.  We live in a politically correct atmosphere where people are labeled with the word “phobic” if you show signs of dislike for sin.  So we writers have to be very careful how we express our displeasure with abnormality.  But come on, this is a rat – in a restaurant!  Touching food!! 

By the time Remy let all his tail-baring pals inside the restaurant kitchen, most of my colleagues were just as nauseated as I.  I kept thinking, this is a strange concept.  Of course, Charlotte’s Web made us feel for a pig and a spider.  That story was full of symbolism, a parable about finding worth in those different than yourself.  But that was only one pig.  And one spider.  Not hundreds of rodents invading where we eat.  Sometimes, a spider is more than a spider.  But a rat is always a rat.   A disgusting rat.

There are positive messages contained in the storyline and the filmmaking is top drawer, but for me the concept is, dare I say it again, disgusting.  That said, I think today’s film-going kids are so used to disgusting imagery that this probably won’t be upsetting.  We’re becoming more accepting, evidently, even of rats.

G (seeing a rat in her restaurant, an old lady starts banging away at it with her shotgun;  it is an amusing scene, with the house getting shot to pieces, but very little ones might be frightened by the loud shots and the action; people are always trying to kill the rat, imagine that; wine is served all the time; after all, it’s epicurean feasts and it’s France; at one point, a character is tricked into getting drunk; it is played for laughs and furthers the plot).  Running Time:  90-some minutes. Intended Audience: Family

Reviewed by Phil Boatwright, the Movie Reporter.
For other recent reviews by Mr. Boatwright, visit previewonline.org.

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