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| Movie Review |
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Ratatouille
- In theaters June 29th 2007
- Rated PG
- RunTime: 110 min
- Matt's rating - 3 out of 5
- Cindy's rating - 4 out of 5
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Matt's Review below
I get excited about Pixar films for a couple of reasons.
One, they always have an animated short that runs
before the feature that is often just as rewarding as
the feature film itself. Two, it is Pixar and so you know
it will not be a fluff piece regurgitated for younger
viewers only. (Insert any Disney animation film here)
Monsters Inc vs. Chicken Little. Enough Said. So I was
interested to see what they would do with a rat in Paris
who wants to be a gourmet chef and has a nose for
fine cuisine. That alone is funny. But funny enough for
almost 120 minutes of footage? That was the wrinkle.
Like a rat after cheese the smart thing would have
been a fast, in and out adventure. Not so much with
Ratatouille which had a few extra side dishes that
could have been left on the shelf.
This was not a beating to set through by any means.
The look and style were totally up to Pixar standards.
The design of each character gave them a personality
that was obvious before they ever spoke a word of
dialogue. They are funny, unique creations. Skinner
(Ian Holm-voice) is exactly how you would expect an
animated head chef of a fine French restaurant to
perform. From his height to the eye movement and
facial features. Very humorous. I wish they would have
spent more time developing and utilizing the other
kitchen characters as well. They gave you interesting,
quick glimpses but never took it to the next level.
The main negative issue I have with the film is the
amount of side drama that they tried to play out. It was
too serious in places, even for adults, and this gave it
a tendency to drag in spots. We understand that Remy
(Patton Oswalt-voice) is trying to break out of the Rat
culture and find his inner calling. We don't need him
emoting on this so much. Just show us the rat
cooking. That's all we need. It surely isn't needed for
the younger viewers. They laughed the hardest when
characters fell down or got hit in the head with pots
and pans. For the older members it was the realism
of characters like the over the top food critique Anton
Ego (Peter O'Toole-voice) that draw our attention. He
gives a review at the end that was a jab to critics
everywhere and spot on. It was almost a dare to film
critics to not take themselves so seriously and just
enjoy the film.
Ratatouille is rated PG and like all Pixar animation a
fun time for all. The violence and peril are cartoonish
and in no way scary. It is a simple tale of a mouse
who loves to cook. Like this review it is a bit longer that
was necessary and sometimes takes itself too
seriously. Still I give it 3 out of 5 sprinkles of lemon
zest. Not sure this will become a classic in the vain of
Toy Story or Monsters Inc. but certainly not a bad
afternoon at the movies for you and the kids. Just
know before you go. With a look at Ratatouille, I'm Matt
Mungle
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Matt and Cindy are members of the North Texas
Film
Critics Association (NTFCA). For additional
reviews
and interview clips visit the website.
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Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
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