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Despite a slightly underwhelming $200 million take in the States, Ratatouille has shown that, Shrek aside, they still rule the box office roost when it comes to America's animated output, no doubt due to their entirely deserved reputation as creators of quality entertainment that transcends age demographics. Unusually for them, Ratatouille's production was not completely plain sailing. In the middle of its gestation period the film saw a change of directors, from feature-length debutant Jan Pinkava to The Incredibles' Brad Bird, but its uneasy birth does not show on screen; it has all the heart and warmth we've come to expect from the esteemed studio. It's also got a typically original premise: a rat called Remy (voiced perfectly by Patton Oswalt), who has a uniquely well-developed sense of taste, loves fine cuisine and idolises French celebrity chef Gusteau. Through an unlikely chain of events, Remy finds himself in Gusteau's Paris restaurant, but the portly cordon bleu has passed away and the establishment's fortunes have taken a downturn. After teaming up with a talentless young kitchen cleaner, Remy starts to work his magic and the restaurant begins to get glowing reviews.
Glowing reviews have also met the film, and it certainly has plenty to recommend it. Pixar's constantly envelope-pushing visuals return once more but they are far from showy, the film having a subtly beautiful earthy glow. The use of colours and lighting is wonderfully judged, giving Paris an idealised misty aura and the rural beginning a lovely rustic tinge. The opening countryside section is an excellent introduction to the characters, concluding with an exciting burst of action and a Flushed Away-esque sewer escapade. The rodent characters themselves are stunningly rendered with thousands of individual hairs that react realistically to water (and, at one point, lightning). The frantic action scenes are excellently executed with flowing camera moves and flashes of endearing wit, and it's all supported by an appropriately playful score by Michael Giacchino. Following his earlier successes with the music for The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible III, Giacchino is establishing an impressive resume as a new John Williams.
Given the high benchmark Pixar have set, however, Ratatouille doesn't quite measure up to some of their previous peaks. The plot, although innovative, is not very complex and seems stretched at 110 minutes. There are some passages in which there's little forward momentum, and while the characters and animation are certainly good enough to compensate, laughs are relatively infrequent and some younger and less patient minds may wander off. These flaws could also apply to Pixar's last film, Cars, and just like that film Ratatouille fortunately ends with an exhilarating third act that makes the previous lulls worth the time. The Peter O'Toole-voiced stuffy food critic Anton Ego, who at first seems like an exaggerated caricature, is transformed into a character with depth, and though utterly ridiculous, the ending finishes the film on a wonderfully satisfying and charming note. Today's lesson: never doubt Pixar.
The summary
An enjoyable and good-natured culinary-themed adventure, Ratatouille survives a rather slow middle section thanks to its personality and a cracking introduction and finale bookending the film.
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