Ratatouille

Director: Brad Bird
Writers: Brad Bird, Jim Capobianco, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg & Jan Pinkava
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Janeane Garofalo, Peter O'Toole, Brian Dennehy

Tayster's Six Pack Rating:

There's a rat in mi kitchen what am I gonna do?
There's a rat in mi kitchen what am I gonna do?
I'm gonna fix that rat, that's what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna fix that rat.

Sorry, I have UB40 stuck in my head.

You know, I wish the rest of Hollywood would take some notes from Pixar.

In most people's minds, rats are horrible creatures. Yet, somehow, Pixar was able to take a rat and give him more depth than almost any other character that is currently on the big screen.

And Pixar does this in every movie they do. Just replace "rat" with "monster" or "toy" or "car" or "fish" or "bug".

I saw Ratatouille on the 4th of July with my wife. We planned on taking our two girls with us. That morning we asked our second oldest if she wanted to go to the movie or go to her aunt's house with her little brother. She informed us that she wanted to go to the aunt's house.

On the way there, our oldest daughter informed us that she would rather stay with the aunt also.

As we were on the way to the theater, my wife asked if I would rather see something else since we were going to be childless. I told her that I really wanted to see Ratatouille, so our plans were not changed.

It's amazing to me how Pixar can make me start to believe that I'm not watching an animated film. You see, when I watch something like The Little Mermaid, the entire time you know you're watching an animated film. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing. There's nothing better than a really great animated film.

Pixar, however, makes it so realistic that you're watching the movie and you have to stop and remind yourself that the rats aren't really talking. (I have to do this every time I watch Toy Story. I have to remind myself that the toys don't actually talk and move around.)

The animation is beyond stunning - even down to the streaks in Collette's hair.

Once again, Pixar proves that not only are they the best animated movie company out there, they are one of the best - if not the best - movie company out there.

p.s. As an added bonus, you get to see the Academy Award nominated Pixar short, Lifted.