Before beginning my review, I must first ask for an indulgence from you, my reader. It is my job as a critic to point out and magnify a film's shortcomings, and most of the time I enjoy doing so. When I do bash a picture, I take pride in my explanation and justification in doing so. As a filmmaker myself, I try to keep a constant level of respect for the work even when it disappoints. Conversely, when I am truly blown away by a film, I find it necessary to let the piece speak for itself. I don't want to over blow the work, but I also want to let you all know just how special it is. These days, great films are few and far between. With Ratatouille, we have one of the few. So I ask for your understanding if my review seems a bit scarce, as I tried for many hours to find ways in which this film deserved criticism, but for once in my life, I found none.
Animated Cinema wasn't always this way. It wasn't always so fresh, so well-derived, and so beautifully and eloquently put together. There was a time when animated movies fell into one of two realms. Either the super-violent imports (ex. AKIRA, 1988) or campy American-made tales of finding your place in the world. (ex. The Brave Little Toaster, 1987. Brad Bird's latest masterpiece, Ratatouille, instead provides us with a totally fresh exercise in family film.
Like all family-oriented Disney pictures, Ratatouille leans on a set of morals that parents look for when taking kids to see a movie. But most Disney movies end up sacrificing ingenuity for the expectations of their audience. This is where Ratatouille parts with the normal. Through a brilliant story, great voice acting, and a wry sense of humor superior to that of even Toy Story, Ratatouille shows us the next step in the evolution of animated film.
It doesn't take long after the movie starts for you to realize that you're watching something special. The story progresses seamlessly and avoids every noticeable cliché on the market. There is humor to be found in just about every scene, but unlike animated satires like the Shrek series, you don't feel like you're getting bombarded with a mixture of fart gags for the kids and cleverly placed puns for the adults. Instead, the humor of Ratatouille targets and reaches everybody in the audience simultaneously. Most Pixar movies have jokes for adults and kids, but not all of them make the adults and the kids laugh at the same jokes. That's what is so remarkable about Ratatouille.
Well, that and the amazing script. And the crisp animation. And the amazing voice acting by the likes of Brad Bird, Peter O' Toole, and newcomer Patton Oswalt who takes the lead role and really makes it his own. In fact, just about everything in this film is remarkable. So take it from me folks, chances are you will never see a better, more balanced family film than this. Take the kids, take the grandparents, take everybody. Ratatouille is an original, funny, heart-warming picture that has once again reminded me of how great animated cinema can be.
-Aaron Steven
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