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Ratatouille (2007)

Director: Brad Bird

5

Time Out rating

Average user rating
115 reviews

Synopsis

There's a rat in the kitchen in this Disney film.

Movie review

From Time Out London

The title of Pixar’s fabulous latest animation gives you its three elegantly dovetailed elements: rodents, food and French. Co-director Jan Pinkava’s original idea was sweetly ridiculous – can a naive, ambitious rat (baby-eyed Remy, charmingly voiced by Patton Oswalt), long inspired by his reading of a famous French chef’s recipe book, realise his dream to become a chef? This has been turned by its final director, Brad ‘The Incredibles’ Bird, into one of the most witty, clever, gently moral, dramatically convincing and visually stimulating family entertainments of the year. The animation is extraordinary too, and occasionally breathtaking. It’s so enticing, in fact, that card-carrying anti-anthropomorphists like this reviewer can readily accept its ‘big ask’: not only
a talking rodent but one able to make a celebrity chef out of his hopeless human helpmeet (the docile, disaster-zone Linguini, voiced by Lou Romano) by jerking his hair from inside his hat, like a Pinocchio pulling his master’s strings. It’s a tribute to the film’s tonal and directorial control, not to mention its sympathy, detail, intelligence and lack of pretension, that such subtextual sub-currents and metaphors – be they the immigrant experience à la ‘American Tail’, digs at McBurger food ethics or the assignation of artistic credit – never obscure its pleasures. Those pleasures are found in its vivid characters (such as its frightening Snow White-style villain, the power-crazed Anton Ego, a food critic with the features of a Gothic Will Self and the voice of Peter O’Toole), richness of ideas and daring sense of fun. A test for tiny tots, a mite nostalgic and as male-dominated as a modern kitchen it may be, but these are mere quibbles about this delightful addition to the Pixar pantheon.

Author: Wally Hammond 2007-10-08 17:42:31

Time Out London Issue 1938: October 10-16 2007


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User reviews of this film

  • Shannon said...
    Posted on Oct 28 2007 11:21 I think that this was a bit obscene for my children, I'd advise all parents to see this before you let your children. It has some, let's just say "Revealing" parts.
    Report as inappropriate
  • Graham said...
    Posted on Oct 28 2007 01:05 Saw this with my 10 yr old daughter and both thoroughly enjoyed it!
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  • Film Fanatic said...
    Posted on Oct 27 2007 18:59 I really Loved this film. i went 2 c this with my new boyfriend and it was our first d8 so it is very special! but its funny and original. its not a waste of money and i reccommend it 2 every1.
    Report as inappropriate
  • Chelsie said...
    Posted on Oct 27 2007 17:21 i thought it was funny lol !xx
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  • /dark/Star said...
    Posted on Oct 27 2007 11:52 haven't seen it yet; probably woin't; looks great
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  • Sarah Thomas said...
    Posted on Oct 27 2007 09:34 it was very good, stunning effects
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  • gracie said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 19:19 wahoooooooooooo
    its great go and see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    yay!
    Report as inappropriate
  • Gracie said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 19:17 this was so funny i laughed so hard but i won't spoil it
    go see it for your self instead of listening to these rubbish comments
    so what r u still doing here go see it
    Report as inappropriate
  • Jimmy M said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 13:32 Going to watch it this afternoon with ma mate Sam, will let ya know what we thought!
    Report as inappropriate
  • Melissa Woodnett said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 13:18 Me And Katy Gonna See It Todayy ... Looks Good , Lets Hope It Is Worth The Money
    Report as inappropriate
  • olly said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 13:05 lookz awrite dnno tho... hope it worth wile
    Report as inappropriate
  • Shannon said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 11:29 Going to see it later, will say how good I thought it was then, but it looks great.
    Report as inappropriate
  • jack said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 10:54 i will tell you when i get back how good it was
    Report as inappropriate
  • Jack said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 10:50 I am going to day with my friends and think it will be very good
    Report as inappropriate
  • yakxila said...
    Posted on Oct 26 2007 00:37 The best film I have seen all year, fantastic!
    Report as inappropriate
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