Ratatouille [U]

We enjoyed the film. It is true at some point the infestation of rats looked awful. Perhaps some kids wouldn't understand but my daughter loved Jamie Oliver's part as the Health Inspector. Fantastic, she thought. The animation was brilliant and the story was also a treat. I thought it was done extremely well with strong characters. It was good to see a shop floor worker achieve his dream of becoming a chef even if it was with the help of a rat. It shows the point of never giving up hope on dreams, that dreams can be achieved by anyone.

Simone (Unverified), 21/11/07

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The subject matter was intriguing and could have potentially created a fine story for kids, but unfortunately it does not...

This movie is definitely not suitable for young children; it is really a PG - parental guidance. My friend's little nephew (4) and niece (3), started to cry at the start of the move (the bit with the swarm of rats), and they had to be taken home to their parents!

There are moments that will amuse the kids; however I think they're few and far between. It seems to me that too much effort was placed into trying to make the movie enjoyable to adults, and in doing so, the whole point of the movie was missed - making it fun for the children. In the end, this animation appears to be most suited for people of 5+ years of age, but I guess they'd be more interested in something else...

5/10

Uplah (Unverified), 19/11/07

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Can you trust a trailer? Ratatouille's action-packed promo promised hi-jinks and quirky humour. But this ain't fast food for the popcorn crowd, it's a three-course meal to be savoured. Only the flavours aren't all they could be.

A rat longs to be a chef, eschewing, not chewing, the garbage. Homing in on a once-great Parisian restaurant, our little hero hooks up with the garbage-boy and uses him, puppet-style, to create cuisine to die for. Which is what will happen if the money-grapping maitre D catches a rodent in the kitchen.

Pixar paints Paris beautifully, almost photographic in its astonishing detail. And Ratatouille definitely comes to life in the too-infrequent chase sequences which hint at the film this could have been. But while it's great to see an American film extolling the benefits of good food, Ratatouille lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.

Little kids will find it slow and talky. But overall, in spite of good voice-talent and an endearingly-rendered rodent hero, this Ratatouille isn't as piquant and tangy as it could be.

It's fun and mildly amusing. But if you only see one animated film about a rat, make it Flushed Away.

Glenn Watson (DI Reviewer), 05/11/07

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I agree with Andrea in part, but it's no The Incredibles! This movie is worth it, however, for the stunning visuals.

(I must say seeing a swarm of rats invade the kitchen at one point, did make me feel a little uneasy - and I happen to like rats!)

SJM (Unverified), 31/10/07

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First of all, this movie is ravishing to look at. Every bedraggled whisker on every little rat is as lovingly rendered as the rain-drenched roof-tiles, silvered sewers, and grandly tasseled interiors of Paris; the flow, splash and movement of water is particularly stunning, and the food is so real you can almost smell it. Second of all, it has appealing characters and a strong story, and will therefore keep little moppets and their parents glued to the screen even though it is nearly two hours long. Third, it is very funny, fourth it has a big strong heart. It's quirky and driven by a heart-warming anti-elitist thrust - it's always fun to laugh at snooty foodies and their daft pretensions, but this movie respects the art of cooking while defending the democratic central tenet of deceased master chef Gousteau, that "Anyone can cook" - even a rat. It's not a message movie, it's a story movie, but it does effectively demonstrate how not to be an elitist pig.

It really is quite magical. It has a robust innocence and uncomplicated warmth that takes you back to the great classic Disney cartoons of the fifties and sixties. It certainly made me feel differently about rats - at least until the next time I see one. Peter O'Toole was outstandingly wonderful as the spiteful old critic Anton Ego, and the other voices by less exalted international stars were also delightful. Definitely a must-see for self and kids; and I happily anticipate that when I am forced to buy the DVD I will still want to watch it a few more times.

Andrea Hopkins (DI Reviewer), 15/10/07

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