From Pixar in 2007: Ratatouille (1 Viewer)

[Abby_B]

I got the chance to see it early as well.

What a stunning film! Both visually and story-wise, I thought that Ratatouille was brilliant. Probably the best movie I've seen this year. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing it again this weekend when it opens, I think it will only look even more gorgeous on a second viewing.

This is some of the best animation I've ever seen. It looks fantastic - vibrant, detailed, so pretty. I can't even imagine how much time they must have put into even the smallest of things.

And I loved the story. I thought it was so funny and heartwarming. The ending was totally perfect and was such a good payoff to everything, I thought. And what a surprise - Peter O'Toole's food critic character is fantastic. Definitely one of the best parts of the whole movie, IMO. I just loved that character to pieces. Of course the movie looks great, it's Pixar, but the thing that always strikes me about their movies is that they aren't just pretty fluff. The stories are what matter, and that's why their movies are so amazing on the whole. That definitely holds true for Ratatouille - you end up loving all the characters.

Absolutely fantastic. Run, do not walk, to see this!

 

[Ken Chan]

The movie definitely deserves to succeed on its own merit. Unfortunately, box office often has nothing to do with quality.

 

[JonZ]

Just read James Bs favorable review...

http://www.reelviews.net/movies/r/ratatouille.html

 

[Darcy Hunter]

This is probably my most anticipated film this summer. Brad Bird simply rules (either with Pixar or without), however I was a bit discouraged by James Bs rather luke-warm review. Yah, he gave it a three stars, but I guess I was just hoping for more of a rave from him (being the critic I most agree with). EW online also reviewed the film and gave it a "B". They also seemed underwhelmed by it. Great visuals, but a relatively "plain" story and bland hero. However, they also said that the fact that the main character "Remy" was not voiced by a known celebrity hurt the film. They felt that a known voice would make us identify with him more. That I don't agree with at all. One of Pixar's strength has always been their impeccable voice casting. Whomever they choose always fits perfectly within the world the film depicts, and this looks no different.

 

[JonZ]

While he did say the voice acting was kind of ho hum, I thought that review was pretty favorable, especially in giving Bird praise.

 

[Abby_B]

I actually have to disagree about the voice acting criticism - I think one of Pixar's great strengths is not really relying on "name" actors to carry a lot of their voicework. Sure, they have had some big names do voices for their movies but they aren't afraid to cast total unknowns if they feel their voices are right for the parts. (I actually just watched one of the behind the scenes clips about this and they were talking about how the Linguini and Emile voices were done by totally unexpected people - the guy that voiced Emile was an animator on the movie first - and it was really interesting.) And, for me, i thought that Patton Oswalt was a really great voice for Remy.

I'm looking forward to seeing this again this weekend.

PS - Ken - I didn't catch that particular visual, I am going to be paying attention the second time!!

 

[TravisR]

I just saw it and thought it was excellent and one of the best movies that I've seen all year.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Probably the first time in some time that a film's visual scope has just knocked me on my ass. Even from the beginning, this is such a step up from the previous benchmark, Cars. It's as if Pixar teases themselves with greater challenges (technical and storytelling) on every film they do.

From the orange colors in the opening shot of the cottage, just beautiful. When they showed bread (I know it sounds silly), but I was just floored. Technically, Pixar is so far beyond it's animation competitors that it isn't even a competition.

As for the film itself...it's pace is decidedly different from most animated films. It's leisurely and often unpredictable (by not going where traditional films would go) in the story. From a storytelling perspective, Remy wasn't completely fleshed out for my tastes. You knew everything you needed to know, but he still seemed a bit distant. But that's really my only complaint.

As usual, Pixar is king at story. It's remarkably well-crafted and builds on itself, level after level. It's honestly like watching a master (even if it's plural) at work. The film doesn;t feel short, but it never outstays it's welcome, nor does it stay mired in a story point. It just shifts gears quite a bit.

I found the voice acting above average. Pixar never relies on the famous voice for star power, just as their stories never rely on slapstick surrounded by pop culture jokes with a few grown up references thrown in. It's not as good as The Incredibles (which I consider a benchmark for voice acting), but it's probably much better than the alternatives.

In the infamous rating of the Pixar films, Ratatouille is...is...needs to be seen again It's tremendously worthy of the Pixar name, and that says it all. It's certainly not without a few flaws, but remarkably less than most films. And it's a technical milestone. It's like Pixar animation is also working off of Moore's Law.

I enjoyed Lifted. Smiled when I saw it was Gary Rydstrom, sound wizard extraordinaire. Not as good as some past shorts...it was still good.

Anyways, the first great summer film has arrived. But you already knew that.

9.5/10,
Chuck

 

[Chris Farmer]

Saw it today, liked it, but at this point I'd put it as second-tier Pixar along with Cars, Finding Nemo, and A Bug's Life (first tier are Toy Story 1 & 2, Monsters, Inc., and The Incredibles). It was a fun movie with some great moments and the animation was absolutely incredible, but there were flaws too, and big ones. I thought the middle drug horribly, and also found Colette's transition to be too abrupt (she goes from stabbing knives through Linguine's robes to being crushed when he doesn't thank her far too quickly). I also would have liked to see more development for Remy, Linguine, and Colette. For the three-cornered center of the film, all three characters were sketched in surprisingly broad strokes, especially for Pixar who usually are terrific at their character development. Most of all though the pacing just felt off. The movie seemed to take its time when it needed to hurry through a scene, and was rushing right when it needed to slow down and let things happen.

That said, as usual, even second-tier Pixar is better than 90% of the drek out there, and the movie did have some astonishing moments. Seeing the huge number of rats swarming the kitchen all doing different things simultaneously was astonishing. The story was great, and the ending was unexpected but fit perfectly. Loved some of the jokes (Gusteau's frozen foods), and was there even a small penis joke? That one surprised me.

Overall I'd say it's very good, but not quite great, although repeat viewings may lead me to upgrade that. The pacing is unusual enough that I could easily see myself liking the movie more once I know how and when things are happening.

 

[MikeRS]

For me, after 3 features (not to mention a ton of pivotal creative work on "The Simpsons"), Brad Bird transcends a "Pixar feature". He is as much a distinct cinematic voice as any filmmaker in history. There is no mistaking "Ratatouille" as anything but:

By the maker of "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles".

More than the company as a whole, Brad Bird feels like the true heir to Disney (And it excites me that I still get the feeling he's just getting started).

But Pixar is obviously an awesome company to work with because they foster a creative atmosphere that is the antithesis of corporate Hollywood meddling (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SHREK). Creative decisions like never allowing the humans hear the voices of the rats sticks out as one of those type of choices that a studo board meeting would have poo-pooed. It's definitely not the conventional route in terms of Hollywood storytelling - but it plays so right in this narrative, allowing big chunks of the film to be much more creative on a visual/emotional/cinematic level.

Of course, Pixar are also sublime craftsmen. Wow, those Paris shots.

Thematically this is an interesting mate with "The Incredibles". One film focusing on the idea of not hiding one's specialness, uniqueness and greatness - while the other meditating on how greatness can be found in the most unassuming places (Heh, typing that now makes me think of thematic connections with Iron Giant!)

The whole film is a pleasure to experience just on the level of that extra special Brad Bird TLC that clearly goes through every last piece of character animation. Such soulful and endearing work.

Favorite two moments...

The kiss

Ego's flashback

 

[MikeRS]

I just thought of another highlight/sequence.

Remy explaining to his brother Emile about the concept of mixing different ingredients to get a new taste


Awesome animation. And hilarious.

 

[Chris Will]

Those people need to get a new job then. Disney hasn't been able to produce a good animated movie without Pixar for years so, Lasseter taking over is the best thing to happen to Disney Animation in a long time IMO.

 

[Allen Hirsch]

This shot, framed and autographed by both Brad Bird and John Lasseter, was my Father's Day gift this year. (My wife obviously scored it at a charity auction - am I lucky or what?)

Having seen the movie last night and loved it, that's now easily my favorite, coolest movie memorabilia.

I thought the strongest message in the movie is that the cliche' “anyone can cook” ends up being supplanted by the more accurate statement “not everyone can become a great artist but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

The only readily recognizable voice in the movie to me was Peter O'Toole as the food critic, Anton Ego. Although there are other "name" voice actors in the cast, maybe because of the French accents they used, I just didn't recognize them, which didn't really detract from the movie, but I did find interesting.

Like The Incredibles, Ratatouille is really about excelling in a democratic setting: Not everyone has equal talent or ability but there is no predicting, on the basis of class or nationality, where talent might arise.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Ok, i'll say it: I am sick to death with CGI cartoons! Bring back the lost art of hand animated 2D with hand ink and painted backgrounds!!

Dear Lord, it all looks the same now! How boring.

Just look at the beauty of Bambi, Snow White, Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, etc. Literally moving pieces of art.

Even the current use of computer ink and paint on 2D animated films looks flat and dimensionless in comparison to painted backgrounds by hand.

Yes, it takes more time, yes you can't crank them out like on a factory floor... but that's a good thing. Like the CGI SFX craze in movies, GGI animated movies has led to laziness in the writing and the "art-like" quality.

Get a QUALITY script and QUALITY hand animation and mix it up a bit.

Dan

 

[TravisR]

Did you actually see Ratatouille? I'll take a CG movie that's as good as Ratatouille any day over nearly any 2D animated movie from the last couple of decades.

 

[Mattias Stridsman]

I find it very strange to find a comment like this in a Pixar movie thread. If there's one thing they're known for, it's their passion and obsession with quality in both the storytelling and the animation. Besides, laziness in the writing has nothing to do with CGI and everything to do with....lazy writing.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The animation in Ratatouille was crisp and amazing, loved every frame of it. The story was also engaging and kept my attention, providing many laughs and a good moral to boot. It took me a little while to get into the character of Linguini (the garbageboy who can't cook), but Remy (the rat cook) was so adorably sympathetic and fun to watch. The pacing was well done for its running time, and doesn't overstay its welcome at all.

I give it 4 stars, or a grade of A. (in restaurant grading, it'd get 5 stars)

 

[Bryan Beckman]

So . . . is this now the default discussion thread for the film? Just to be on the safe side, I'll post story details in spoilers for those people looking only for reviews.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this movie. I came in with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. At this point Brad Bird could make a movie about the phone book and I'd be one of the first people in line.

With this movie, Pixar has served notice to all the animation studios--no, scratch that, make it all film studios and filmmakers period--that they individually and collectively need to raise the level of their A-game. The previous pop-culturish, star-driven, sex-and-scatological humor-driven elements that seem to drive most animated (and children's) fare these days just don't satisfy, and they don't cut it anymore. It's all about a compelling story with interesting characters and universal themes that aren't dimmed much (if at all) by time.

Oh, and looking absolutely marvellous doesn't hurt either. See this in a DLP theater if you can. Your eyes will not stop thanking you.

Speaking of the story, my wife astutely pointed out that what would normally be the climax of a lesser animated film , namely Linguini inheriting the restaurant,
turns out to be merely the midpoint of the movie. And just when you think it's ready to wrap everything up with a nice lovely red bow at the end, specifically after Ego's gushing review and Remy's apparent triumph,
with just a few sentences (the restaurant was forced to close because of the health inspector's report, Ego lost his job and his reputation, etc.)
the audience's expectations are completely shattered. All of which makes the ultimate ending so much more satisfying. The characters make their own happiness, not forced into the roles they're not cut out for/used to. For example, Linguini as a waiter on roller skates is a much better fit with his personality than him as a faux chef.
And I think that is one of the themes of the movie: determining your own destiny in light of your current circumstances. One is not forced into mediocrity because the stars just don't align perfectly. Greatness is always achievable.

One of the most satisfying and (pardon the pun) delicious film experiences I've had in quite a while.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

I'm talking about the industry of CGI animation as a whole, not particularly or necessarily PIXAR, though Cars was not one of their stronger outings.

I have seen many trailers for Ratatouille and many stills, and while in and of itself it looks "cool" it still is lacking something.

Also, on the whole, they are producing CGI flicks from all over the place much faster than traditional, hand drawn animation.

I still state there is a "sameness" creeping into this computer animated world the studios have started. Much, much faster than old school animation.

I think well done films like Bambi, have an "atmosphere" that the drawings evoke more so than the brightly lit, florescent colored, plasticy computer world that many animators are sticking with. It works fine for a Toy Story because of the setting, but not for others.

Dan

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Like most Pixar films, Ratatouille settles in my memory quite warmly, each piece of it fitting together very well in hindsight. I can't wait to see it again and again and again. Pixar makes it nice when your kid wants to watch the same film over and over. I still get excited when he picks Cars or The Incredibles for the 20th time.

I have to assume Dan hasn't seen this film...the script is a brilliant piece of work. And artistically...Ratatouille is a landmark in animation. EDIT: Pixar isn't even competing with DW or Fox animation or anyone else. Cars is better than anything the other studios have done...and it's the least brilliant of the Pixar films. I consider Pixar an absolute treasure.

MikeRS, while I feel Brad Bird is a very special talent, I also believe Pixar adds an immense amount to the mix. Let's just say that it's two great tastes that taste exceptional together. I have heard that Bird will be directing a live action film about the 1906 earthquake. Whatever he does, I'll be there.

Pixar is still batting 1.000 as a studio.