Pixarathon #8: Ratatouille

 Hello, Spongey here.

Welcome back to Pixar-athon!

 

This, is Ratatouille

 

A rat named Rémy has a highly developed sense of taste and smell. Dissatisfied with eating garbage like the rest of his family, he wants to become a chef. When he winds up in Paris, he gets his chance to cook at the restaurant founded by his idol, Auguste Gusteau, by making a deal with the restaurant’s garbage boy, Linguini, who (thanks to Rémy’s interference) has been mistaken for a cooking genius. Rémy guides Linguini in the kitchen in a puppet-like manner so that Linguini doesn’t lose his job, while Rémy gets the cooking experience (and critical fame) he desires.

 

This is a fascinating film in many ways. But before I mention the obvious ones, I must say exactly why this movie is very special, to me.

Most pixar films has some type of spectacle to them, in some way or another. From that fun chase near the end of Toy Story to the entirety  of the incredibles. On the outside they look quite epic, and they sell the film based on that. And of course on the inside they are…well smart and amazing

 

This movie is different. It’s simplistic and both looks and storytelling. Right from looking at it you know it’s deep and complex. So this is a hard film to sell. Thankfully, kid’s loved it and it made money. And the critics came over it. Then again, the same  can be said for most pixar films.

                                                 When re-watching this film for the review, I forgot how amazingly beautiful this thing is.  That’s the perfect to word to describe this film. Beautiful animation, story, and characters.

 This was the true start of pixar making their films for adults. Oh sure, they’ve been doing that since the start. But here is where they really drench the film in adult themes to the point you wonder if it’s still targeted at kids. I mean this in a very positive way, of course. We’ll touch upon this when we get to their next few films.

 

I’d touch upon the voice actors…but I don’t know most of them. So we’ll only talk about one, and that’s the most important one: Patton oswalt as Remy.

 

I’m a big fan of him, but when I first heard he was in this, I was a tad skeptical. He didn’t quite seem like the kind of person who’d be in a pixar film…but then I realized.  that the same could be applied to larry the cable guy, and he was good in Cars. Plus, he’d proven he can be in kid’s stuff without inserting sex jokes or something.

And of course, he is amazing in this movie. He is very funny as remy, and helps make him of pixar’s leads. Remy is awesome./

The other actors do great as well, but like I said, I don’t know most of them so we shall just talk about the characters.

 

Linguini and Coliete are interesting, in that they have a romantic thing going, but it’s never the center of the film. It’s done in just the right amounts, and done quite well. It gives depth and development to these characters, instead of just dumb romance.

Of course it’s odd linguini’s dad is French, and he sounds like he’s from ohio, but whatever. Also… I never understood the whole…controlling him by his hair thing. They don’t explain it too much, and it’s a little odd. But eh, I’ll go with it,

 

Can’t say too much for the other characters, as there isn’t much to say .i like emille, remy’s brother. He starts the fat guy…and stays that way, but he’s very funny, and by the end, he’s on remy’s side all the way.

I also like the relationship with remy and his father. it’s hard to explain but by the end of the movie they’ve gone through lots of stuff, and it’s great to see his dad help him out with the cooking at the end. Yeah…it’s cool I guess.

 

And instead of talking about “Gusteau’s ghost”, let’s talk about something I notice about Geusteau..

 

after a beloved “chef’s” death, a new “head chef” capitalizes on the reputation of said chef by using it to churn out inferior” frozen, prepackaged foods”.

Sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it?

 

You’ll get it someday..

Also, this is slightly off topic, but when Linguini is going crazy, the following things are said

“Stop doing that?”

“Freaking me out!”

 

…yea, I misheard it as “flipping me off”. Like, every time I heard it, until the re-WATCH for this review.

 

Also, speaking of  Colette, remember when Linguini spills the soup at the beginning? I notice he did so cuz he was staring at her.

Well played, Brad bird..

 

And of course, there is Skinner and Ego.

 

…shut up

 

Skinner’s cool, but I’d like to talk a lot about ego..

 

He’s the skinny ass critic who ruined Geusteau’s. years ago, and due to its recent success, arrives to review it once more. Through most of the film, he is just an asshole critic. That is, until he bites into his food (which is the titular dish…). It brings back to Anton Ego memories of his mother’s cooking, which shows his human side.

Later on, the whole…rat, thing is explained to him.

The next day, his review appears.

I can’t qoute since it’s long, I cannot find it online, so I’ll just say it’s one of the most amazing things in any pixar film. Yes, the restaurant was closed by health inspectors, but it’s truly incredible if you don’t come out of that monologue feeling inspired, or with a new respect for some critics, to a degree.

I so wish I could quote it somehow, it’s just amazing. It’s a very interesting take on critics’, and yes it extra hilarious now that Cars 2 is got bad reviews.

 

There are two scenes I also love. First is the part where Skinner gets Linguini drunk to get info out of him. Yes, DRUNK. And it’s hilarious.

“it sounds like rat…and patatootie”

 

And there’s the part near the start where Remy is notice by the old lady. It goes as you would expect until-

 

HOLY SHIT GRANNY’S PACKING!

 

That’s amazing.

 

Before I move on to the easter eggs, here’s some advice: NEVER WATCH THIS ON AN EMPTY STOMACH! Seriously.

 

 

EASTER EGG STUFF:

 

During the old lady house scene, there’s a shadow of Dug from Up.

 

Before linguini puts remy under his out, he considers his pants, and we see has incredibles underwear…I really just typed that

 

A114 can be found on the tag on of the rats in remy’s clan.

 

John Ratzenburger  voices a French waiter Thus, he has a French accent. I could never tell it was him, but now that I listen closely, you can hear them in here. The only time he’s not easy to recognize, but he’s still funny

The Pizza Planet truck appears on the bridge over the River Seine in the scene where Skinner chases Remy. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it thing. Between it not being in his last film and this, I think Brad has something against this truck.

I think that’s all there is, folks.

 

Short one this time, but this a truly magnificent  film in the pixar library. Check It out!

 

See ya.