Summer Movie Mayhem - Week 5

Ratatouille is the best movie I've seen so far this Summer.  This is not exaggeration since every big movie coming out thus far is a sequel of some sort.  When most other films are carrying a 3 of some sort behind the main title, it's a breath of fresh air when a filmmaker like Brad Bird comes along and knocks one clear out of the park.

Once again, I stress how amazed I was when I first saw the animated feature The Iron Giant.  Anyone who enjoys traditional animation should see The Iron Giant, not because it's a great example of the power still present in 2-dimensional animation, but for the fact that it still carries a powerful story entertaining for both adults and kids.  The same can be said for Mr. Bird's follow-up feature and first Pixar collaboration, The Incredibles and it also holds true for this latest effort.

Patton Oswalt stars as Remy, a rat with a palate.  Ridiculous as it might seem, this is another fitting fish out of water tale from the studio.  This rat with a dream doesn't fit into any kitchen or into any rat's nest, but is at home most when he is in front of the stove.  His only creative outlet just happens to be a talentless chef named Luigi and his mentor Collete, voiced by Janeane Garofalo.  Combined with his imaginary mentor, a devious rival chef, and his confused family, Remy must find a way to realize his dreams.

Positive buzz on the film really left expectations running high, but I wasn't hyping myself up since I wasn't at all inspired to see the last Pixar film, Cars.  From start to finish, this movie is filled with love, charm, and pounds of what makes animation such a unique medium.  Sure, they could have made this film 2-dimensional at one point, but as most of the major American studios have banished traditional hand-drawn pictures to television, we all benefit.  What we saw in Shrek, while impressive, does not begin to compare to the amazing textures and setpieces onscreen.  I would say that the initial scenes of Remy and his family awash in the Sewers of rural France was impressive enough, but the reverence the animators pay towards Paris is picture-perfect.  The backgrounds teem with life and while we rarely see the restaurant itself, it's filmed with an elegance and warmth that would befit many a fine dining establishment.

The story itself, which is quite endearing, is miles above most Summer films in its simple complexity.  While there would be one singular plot thread, there are plenty of layers to explore from every viewpoint.  Every character developed throughout the flick serves the story in some point and every faint scar and burn mark on the chefs themselves is a testament to the detail-oriented freak in all of us.  I found myself enthralled by it.

Many nowadays call Hayao Miyazaki the Japanese Walt Disney and it comes as no surprise that Brad Bird is now being called the American Walt Disney.  A high praise it is indeed and I'm sure that Mr. Disney would be very pleased with the tradition that his studio has sought to continue to this day.

Overall Score:  4 out of 5 stars.