Insider gossip from Hollywood had Ratatouille
pegged as the one Disney executives wanted to fail. Since last year’s
purchase of Pixar by the Mouse House, bigwigs John Lasseter and Apple
maestro Steve Jobs have held the creative reigns – something the old
Disney guard don’t like.
Pixar only needed one flop for Disney
President Bob Iger to realise they weren’t King Midas and he’d reign
them in, giving the old school animators and creatives some autonomy
back.
Unfortunately for them, Pixar movies are like pizza – even
when they’re not the best they’re still great. Those hand-wringing 2D
animators are going to have to occupy Disney headquarters, lock the new
superstars out of the building and hurriedly make and release their own
movie – now there’s an idea for a Pixar film.
Ratatouille
isn’t Pixar’s strongest film, but you can still see every drop of
creative sweat shed to make it as perfect as possible. The locales of a
Paris restaurant kitchen, its surrounds and the characters who work in
it are all faultlessly executed stylistically as well as technically,
so all that’s left to talk about is the story.
Remy lives in the
French countryside and really wants to be a chef. He idolises Gusteau,
owner and chef of a famous Paris restaurant who maintains that anyone
can cook, a philosophy that gives Remy hope.
When he finds
himself in Paris right in front of Gusteau’s after being separated from
his family, Remy realises his big chance is staring him in the face and
decides to let nothing stop him in his dream – not even the fact that
he’s a rat.
Forming an unlikely alliance with the gawky new
garbage boy Linguini, Remy gets his shot in the kitchen of Gusteau’s
despite the forces arrayed against him, from creepy head chef Skinner
(Holm) to vampiric food critic Ego (O’Toole).
The story and
themes are more multi-faceted than most Pixar films and thankfully
comprise more than just the tired ‘follow your dreams’ message. The
story isn’t as simple as that of Monsters Inc
or Toy Story
so, Ratatouille
isn’t as iconic, so it’s for Pixar fans only. Fortunately for them (and
unfortunately for the newly-demoted ink-and-painters), most of us are.
3.5 out
of 5
Ratatouille Australian
release: 6th September,
2007
Cast:Brad Garrett, Patton Oswalt, John
Ratzenberger Director: Brad Bird
Website:Click
here.
