Ratatouille

For some reason or another, I've really liked Ratatouille since the first time that I saw it.  It has a lot of charm.  I've also recently become a bit of a foodie, what with watching the Food Network all the time and sampling some of the delicious cuisine on the cruise.  Plus, who doesn't like a film about someone (or a somerat) who pursues their dreams despite the obstacles?

It's a bit silly, but that's why it's an animated children's movie.  Completely unrealistic, of course - I mean, if you can accept the talking rats and one with cooking talent, that's fine, but the craziest thing is that Remy can control Linguini by pulling his hair.  Of course, this makes the film quite funny as well.  The short little chef, Skinner, while a jerk, is fun to watch.  This is especially true because Linguini succeeds in tricking everyone else but Skinner actually figures out the truth, though the way things play out it seems like he's crazy for thinking it.

I really like the twist, about how Linguini turns out to be a Gusteau's son.  The best part about that is that it's not the typical situation - Linguini himself, despite being descended from a great chef, is actually an awful cook himself!  There's also a romantic plot line between Linguini and Colette, which is okay.  I'm not really sure what she sees in him, but it's pretty cute anyway.

The Music
Like most of the Pixar movies, this one isn't a musical.  It does have a nice score though, with a lot of French tunes.  There is one song in particular that stands out in my memory as being very catchy, as I can still hear it playing in my head, but I'm not sure which one it is.  I think it's the one that plays toward the end though.

The Villain
The bad guy here is Skinner.  He not only finds out about Linguini's secret and tries to out him the whole time, he is also ruining Gusteau's name by creating a line of frozen food products with his face on them.  He is also manipulative and underhanded, finding any way to keep the restaurant out of Linguini's hands, even though he is the rightful owner, and not telling the boy about his parentage.  However, he is much more of a comic villain than a purely evil one.

The WDW Connection
It's not surprising that the place where Ratatouille shows up is in Epcot, in the French pavilion.  Though not themed after the movie, there are two French restaurants there.  Les Chefs de France has a small "show" in which Remy comes out, and you can sometimes catch Remy around the parks (most likely in France).  Jason and I have reservations at Les Chefs de France, but since we are going for lunch I don't think we'll see Remy.

Becky's rating:  9 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10