Ratatouille

What will happen to the world when Pixar Animation Studios eventually turns out a flop? Given their recent run at the movies, it might never happen. Each film they dish out is packed full of fresh ideas, original characters, and whole hearted laughs. It’s a common trend in all their movies to happily please their audience with comical mischief and cute humor. What happens when all those trends are set aside for newer ideas? What happens when Pixar decides to change its cinematic strategy?

This time around, Pixar has created a film that is so uniquely un-childish that it gives every guest a new welcome. “Ratatouille” is a film that is different from any other Pixar film because it insists on taking its story seriously. Movies like “Monsters Inc” and “Cars” apply their characters in light-hearted fashion in a world strictly designed for their characters. “Ratatouille,” however, places its main character, a talking rat, in a world that we are familiar with: our own.

Specifically, we are in Paris, France when we meet Remy the rat. Blessed with a limitless sense of smell, Remy dreams of becoming a chef. The only problem is he is the most unwelcome visitor in a five star restaurant’s kitchen. Now, since the world depicted in “Ratatouille” is not strictly a world full of rats, Remy’s predicament becomes a much more interesting one with humor we never would have imagined. In turn, we get a movie that is not just for kids, but one adults will surely enjoy as well.

To some die hard Pixar fans, the switch to a more serious approach of story telling may seem like a drastic departure. “Ratatouille is a much darker film with humor that only appears with intricate pacing alongside it’s character’s life. The laughs don’t necessarily fly out at you straight from the environment. The filmmakers seem more worried about showing you the struggles of their lovable main character since the idea of a rat wanting to be able to cook like a human is funny enough. This leaves room for humor that is seemingly done without any strength at all. Eventually, the payoff is surprisingly tender and moving in its own unique way.

Visually, “Ratatouille” is flawless. Set against the backdrop of Paris, Pixar uses the setting to instill emotion in an audience much like a live action film set in Paris would. Swift and lifelike camera movements bring out all the intricacies of Paris from its beautiful skyline of the night to the emotions of star crossed lovers in a methodical trance. All themes represent a dream; Remy’s dream of culinary wonder. Animation used to represent a story of passion, determination, and success is a delightful presentation on ideas not normally found in movies of this caliber.

No other Pixar film has been able to solidify itself in the depths of its characters. Miraculously, “Ratatouille” keeps its balance by staying equally fresh and charming even among its seriousness. For animated movies, Pixar Animation rests upon a platinum platform pedestal far above the reaches of any other number one competitor’s ideas. This is animation at its absolute best.

Ratatouille

Rated G for

Runtime: 111 min.

Starring: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Janeane Garofalo, Brad Garrett

Directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava