For some lore on this review series
“I don’t wanna go to the Bad Place. It’s scary, like the movie “Ratatouille”…I ain’t trying to have rats living in my hat and pulling my hair to get me to do stuff.” -Jason Mendoza (The Good Place)
To be honest going into this movie I really wanted to like it despite the fact that it scared Jason Mendoza of The Good Place. Typically with movies I also want to like them. I’m not sure if I had heard mix things this about this movie over the years but I was both scared and excited to watch Ratatouille.
I did know something about this movie going into it like most of the plot and that the rat cooks using a human puppet. Again I knew premise of the movie in broad-strokes by not the intricacies of the story or of the characters.
So did the movie meet my exceptions or did it serve only to waste my time?
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While I do have a minor weird nitpicks, I did very much did enjoyed Ratatouille. It’s Pixar at its most refined in terms of scope, nuance and thesis.
And yet despite that it’s a brilliant work of animation. The concept of a ray being a genius who cook who struggle with his identity of being a rat and artist. The nature of creating, taking, and criticism There is just so many thoughtful ideas that coalesces into an engaging and unique fish- -out-of-water story.
At no point does this movie feel stale or derivative. Even the very austere reaper-like food critic while treated like an antagonist isn’t so much demonized for his opinion and preceptive. His monologue is brilliant and relatable to the discourse of criticism in general. But I would a say the artists and analysis are different skills and while the content a creative or artist makes is more loved than someone’s critical preceptive it still have a value.
However that is not the thesis of the movie, which is about art and creation and that anyone can make works of genius, Like a Rat that cooks amazing haute cuisine.
My minor nitpick is that I didn’t come away from this movie loving the characters. Most of the casts are set dressing without much to really do in the story. But I didn’t find myself really resonating with the main characters as much a would have wished. I do like the fact the Remy can’t talk to humans that was a great dynamic and did make Remy cuter. Also his dynamic with Linguini and dueling egos is a good third rift for the two leads. That being said the voice cast was great.
Now I will 100% concede that the characters might, and most likely will, grow on me one a rewatch. For example The first time I watch The Emperor’s New Groove I disliked it, a folly of youth. Now every time I rewatch The Emperor’s New Groove I like it a little bit more each time. So it stands to reason that should I rewatch Ratatouille again I might enjoy the characters more than one my first watch and I do see myself rewatching this movie.
I enjoy that this a smaller stake movie about artistry, passion, desire of creation and the overall appreciation of beauty all wrapped up in an imaginative superbly animated movie that takes its audience seriously. I got misty eyes when Anton took a bit of Ratatouille which called to his mind a memory of childhood, that got me. And him dropping his pen, the source of his power, was chef’s kiss.
All in all Ratatouille was a very entertaining and beautiful is a fresh bold preceptive to an animated movie that is meant for all to enjoy.
Also I want to point out that Linguini makes a great waiter.
Also, Also Notre Dame de Paris makes cameo amongst the Paris setting.
