Film >
Ratatouille
Ratatouille | |
| Rated: | G |
| Studio: | Disney/Pixar |
| Director: | Brad Bird |
| Cast: | Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo |
| Genre: | Film |
| Our Rating: |  |
If your kids like to watch the Food Network or have a thing for the pudgy neighbor from The King of Queens, then Ratatouille may be right up their alley. Otherwise, the previously winning Pixar calculus of jokes-for-all-ages is so skewed in Ratatouille that it’s unlikely that young or old will connect. While the humor wins most of the time (thanks primarily to the fine delivery of stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt, who plays the lead rat), the jokes are rooted in contexts – kitchen work and sewer rats – that kids aren’t familiar with. The adults who would appreciate the jokes are unlikely to dare to be the lone childless person at a cartoon. Perhaps if Ratatouille were lightly written instead of delivered in a ponderous, talk-heavy manner, it would be more engaging for the young ones. Perhaps if the too-simple story – foodie rat sneaks his way into a Paris kitchen and winds up cooking there – had anything beyond that wearying gag to offer, adults might be willing to tolerate it. Sadly, though, beyond the stunning animation (they finally got hair right!), there’s little to recommend besides the fact that it’s a touch better than Shrek the Third.
Comments on this story:
On 6/28/2007 1:38:20 PM, LemonChica said:
"The adults who would appreciate the jokes are unlikely to dare to be the lone childless person at a cartoon."And that's a shame. Animation doesn't necessarily have to target young or old. This move doesn't have to catch all of a kid's attention. A story can be told for the sake of a story. It's unfortunate in today's age that for something to be "engaging" for adults, it has to have very adult themes. And for it to be entertaining for children, it has to be simplified and dumbed down to the extreme with a slew of pop culture references. I have not seen this film yet, but what I enjoy most about Pixar flicks is how timeless they are. You can watch them in the theatres, and then see them again decades later and they are still as poignant as ever. Anyway, I'm not bashing your opinion at all - you've done a fine job supporting it (which is more than I can say for some reviewers), but the points you bring up really are a depressing signal that society still hasn't accepted animation as anything but fodder for children.
On 6/29/2007 1:46:26 AM, Hondo said:
I guess you're trying to make a name for yourself as a contrarian reviewer. The movie has pretty much been universally praised, but you don't think adults or kids will go for it huh? Ponderous and too simple. Yeah, okay whatever. I suspect the coming days and weeks will show just how much kids are "engaged" and adults "tolerate it." Sorry amigo, but I'm gonna have to trust Pixar's track record and the overwhelming opinion of the rest of the free world on this one.
On 6/29/2007 11:06:13 AM, gppnj said:
If it means getting to see a quality film, I'd be proud to be a lone childless person at a cartoon. But based on the buzz this movie is getting, I don't think I'll be alone...
On 6/29/2007 4:09:41 PM, radiobasics said:
i dont even know where to begin? do you really think the HUGE success
of every pixar movie ever was based only on adults with children as the
movie goers?? guess again.
congrats on destroying your credibility.
On 6/29/2007 7:23:27 PM, jhp said:
That you really like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and are the only reviewer that doesn't like this movie. Tells me a few things. 1) You are way too inmature to be critiquing movies. 2) You have no idea on how to critique movies. 3) You need a rat in your hair to control what you write next time you critique a movie. 4) You are just simply ridiculous, and can't be taken seriously.I registered just to comment on what a RIDICULOUS review you wrote. Was this some kind of 7th grade project for you?Your crdibility as a reviewer are lower than the rats in the film. In fact I don't thing they would enjoy the garbage you just spewed out.Hopefully no reader actually takes you seriously as a critic. Go review an episode of South Park thats more your speed.
On 6/29/2007 8:41:51 PM, kfarschman said:
jhp you sound like your a little clueless also."Go review an episode of South Park thats more your speed."Are you kidding me? That sounds like you think South Park is equal to Ren and Stimpy or something. South Park is one of the greatest satirical comedies (live action or animation).I don't agree with the reviewer but I won't stand by while you take pointless cheap shots at one of the funniest, smartest, and offensive (in a good way) comedies in recent memory just because you are out of touch with adult animation. Aqua Teen is immature?? It's insane and comepletely hilariously absurd but not really "iNmature" as you put it. Maybe you should check these shows out instead of just repeating what you hear from other clueless parents at P.T.A meetings.
On 6/29/2007 8:45:41 PM, mr jelly said:
Finally, a reviewer who saw the film that I did. Nobody, I mean
nobody loves brad bird more than I do. But this is not a Bird
film - its pickup work he tookover - he did the best he could but the
film is schismed - its boring and tedius for adults - has great
idiological concepts - that are inaccessible to young children and
boring to adults. The film is lush, beautiful, and painful to sit
through. Its genius moments are spread to far and few between in an
overbloated film that could have been tolerable at 90 min. The
epic scope and grandeur generated in Iron Giant and the Incredibles are
completely missing here. Thank goodness somebody out there has
this opinon as well as me - I was starting to think I was insane.
And yes - shame on a reviewer for telling it how he saw it - he should
instead lie, and follow the herd, so that his credibility remains
inteact. I do think there is a strong audience for 6-12 year
olds, and culinophiles. My 3 year old said multiple times to me -
DAD IM BORED! Me too son, me too. My kid son could tell you
the names of every character in every other pixar, disney, and
especially Miyazaki film, and he worships the Iron Giant - but at the
end of this film I said - what did you think of Remy? He said -
who is Remy dad? Exactly.
On 6/29/2007 10:42:21 PM, jhp said:
OK. I have checked out South Park, many times, and it makes me laugh. But its toilet humor period, Its good toilet humor. better, and more intelligent than most of the stuff ABC, NBC(except Office), defnitely CBS put out.Its at a different level. Its when we want to put our brain on hold and laugh to some funny ridiculous and somehow interesting. Family Guy, South Park, Simpsons, are at the top of that pile. Aqua Teen at the very very bottom.But now this movie Ratatouille is in a complete whole class by itself. And someone who calls themself a " film critic" and praises a lame effort Aqua Teen movie, that should of been straight to DVD, and then turns around and gives a bad review to this CLASSIC!Please! He is immature(I really want to say clueless), and should not be reviewing real movies. AM I saying SOuthpark is horrible, lame, or stupid,...nope, but for anyone who prefers Aqua Teen over this CLASSIC should stick to, brain on pause, toilet humor shows. I call'em as I see'em I don't have to attend Harper Valley PTA meetings.
On 6/30/2007 8:17:22 AM, jhp said:
<PRE><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=talkback width="80%"><P><B>From aintitcoolnews.com Whew I'm not alone...</B></P><P><STRONG></STRONG> </P><P><B><A name=comment_1596552>Orlando Critics.. too close to the Mouse</A><BR>by MST3KPIMP</B></P></TD><TD class=talkbackposted vAlign=top width="20%"><P> </P><P> </P><P>Jun 30th, 2007<BR>12:35:08 AM</P></TD></TR><TR><TD class=talkbackcomment colSpan=2>I think many who live near Disneyworld are so sick of the tourism and product that Disney produces as they are constanly exposed to it that they are almost predisposed to dismissing it as if to preserve theyre objectivity and artistic merit. Familiarity breeds contempt as they say.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></PRE>
On 7/2/2007 1:55:27 AM, brvheart said:
On 7/2/2007 2:00:55 AM, brvheart said:
I agree with the reviewer. The movie was visually stunning. The first moment you see the rats close up, I was in shock at how beautifully stunning the visuals are. That being said, my first thought upon leaving the theatre was... wow Finding Nemo was at least 10 times better than that. The ending should've been rewritten, and I think I smiled once. My kids laughed maybe 3 or 4 times. It was no Finding Nemo.
On 7/2/2007 8:00:34 AM, taylor73cat said:
On 7/2/2007 8:04:34 AM, taylor73cat said:
I would expect nothing more than your inept review considering you are:A) in Florida and B) gave "Evening" a good review. Dude, you are a TOOL. Have fun working at a rinky-dink paper for the rest of your life. Moron.
On 7/8/2007 11:07:42 AM, westernmasser said:
I commend you for calling out this film. I took my 11 year old son and found it excrutiatingly long and dull. I can't recall a memorable tune it it. Peter O'Toole's performance as a sociopathic food critic is amusing once or twice.
Without a doubt the flim has some spectacular visual moments but an interesting story? There is what I took to be a potential ending with about 20 minutes to go in the film, and I suspect most viewers will share my response when they figure out it ain't over yet: disappointment
