Ratatouille

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Chasing a dream has never been as much fun as it is in the cleverly titled Ratatouille, a masterpiece that has to be the front-runner for this year's animated Oscar. It's the rare 'toon that even deserves consideration for Best Picture, as this is a delicious comedy treat, and Disney/Pixar's funniest movie ever. Brad Bird, the genius behind The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, strikes again with another outrageous, mouthwatering original triumph, this time set in the world's food capital, Paris, where a talented young chef longs to get his chance to prove he is a first-class cook. Only problem is, he's a rat—literally. When he makes his way into the kitchen of one of the City of Lights' formerly finest eateries and secretly spices up a flat soup, he's on his way. Enlisting the help and physical presence of the restaurant's about-to-be-fired busboy, he becomes the brains behind the hottest new chef in the business. Of course being a rat makes things extremely complicated, and that's just the beginning. Last year, another animated tale of rats, Flushed Away, failed to do what Ratatouille does so well—it humanizes its lead character and makes you root for him. Of course the CGI animation on display is flawless, but it wouldn't be worth a damn unless we cared. This irresistible soufflé is loaded with laughs and heart, plus a restaurateur rodent named Remy you won't soon forget. We guarantee, whatever your age, you will eat up this five-star classic and want to come back for more.