Before going to see Pixars ‘Ratatouille’ with the family this afternoon, the only plus point I could think of was the thought of at least 90 minutes sleep in a large dark room. I was just not looking forward to another computer generated animation, ‘Shrek the Third’ killed CGI films for me, but the rest of the family were keen, and we are already going to see ‘Stardust’ later in the week.
So off we toddled down to the local VUE @ Star City and merrily made our way to screen 1. Screen 1 was virtually empty, so we headed up the steps to the back row high above the ground and I settled down for a pre sleep check. Chair danced to the Pearl & Dean advert intro music, and watched the trailers.
Ratatouille started with a very amusing Pixar short ‘Lifted’ I wont ruin it for you if you have not seen it, will particularly appeal to alien abduction fans (if you can be a fan of alien abduction at all)
The main feature itself shook me out of my GOM (grumpy old man) state and proved that no matter how well crafted the animation, these CGI movies (and any) rely on a decent script and characters with whom we can build some sort of empathy with in a short period of time. Ratatouille achieves both easily, leaving one heading out the the exit content that (of course) it all worked out well.
The story is based on the original French classic ‘Le Rat qui va bien à un Chef’, the authors name escapes me at the moment. Gourmet country Rat with a nose for fine foods ends up in Paris and attempts to live his dream of becoming a world renowned chef after reading a cookery book ‘Anyone can Cook’, encouraged by the spiritual guide of the books dead author, and helped by the illegitimate son of the dead chef acting as a puppet, rat achieves his aims.
Things get in the way of success obviously, things are overcome, turns out nice again (as George Formby once said).
Paris looks fantastic, as does the CGI, things to look out for in CGI films to see if it’s good:
Complicated, wayward natural things that are hard to create with a natural look with real physics and stuff, looks ace in ‘Ratatouille’, all the sets and props look extremely authentic, almost real (All the metalwork in the kitchen for example), to the extent you forget they are not, and you are able to concentrate on the story.
I have no hesitation in giving Pixars ‘Ratatatouille’ a free time thumbs up, see it.
I bet I can write a better review than that with a bit of practice, set the bar low eh?
