Ratatouille: A Recipe for Success!

I must admit that when I heard about the release of this movie about a rat with a talent and passion for cooking, I was a little less than interested.

I mean, I associate a lot of things with rats, but class-A chef is not at the top of my list.

Fortunately, Disney and Pixar's latest installation, Ratatouille (pronounced rat-a-too-ee) proved itself to be one of the best contributions to the summer movie frenzy.

Ratatouille(written and directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles) is about the unlikely rat chef Remy (Patton Oswalt) and his struggles in daily life as an unwanted rodent with a truly unique gift for food.

Getting lots of criticism from his dad, Django (Brian Dennehy), his brother Emile (Peter Sohn), as well as the rest of the rat clan, not to mention the humans he has to constantly be on the lookout for, he has to find himself and learn his lessons in the fast-paced and enchanting city of Paris.

With the help of his newfound human friend, Linguini (Lou Romano), Remy is able to overcome even the most bizarre obstacles.

Other characters that give wonderful and memorable performances are Skinner (Ian Holm), the head chef; Colette (Janeane Garofalo), a saucy and talented chef; Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), the food critic no one wants to cross; and Gusteau (Brad Garrett), whom you will just have to see for yourself!

The animation in this film was simply breathtaking-some of the most realistic and brilliant work I've ever seen.

From the movements and facial expressions of the characters to the food being prepared to the various scenes and landmarks of historic Paris, these beautiful and artful effects made me truly fall in love with the movie.

I was also very pleased to see the subtle life lessons the movie cleverly pointed out including how stealing is wrong, the importance of cleanliness (when dealing with food and while in the kitchen), and the value of family.

The worth of following your dreams even when it's not always and easy thing to do was also a large part of the premise of the film.

I was a little concerned that some underlying themes may be a bit too much for younger children (under the age of 6, perhaps) to fully understand, but with a little adult guidance, everyone should be happy in the end.

Plus, the lively scenes should keep most children's attention spans since the movie clocked in at 110 minutes.

I absolutely adored Ratatouille and give it two thumbs up because of how it weaved elements of reality with the fantastic and still managed to have a heartwarming message to viewers of all ages.

The film is rated G, and contains some kissing and mild cartoon violence.

Keep reading for an extra bit of info you might like to know!

*Final Note: What does "ratatouille" mean, anyway? Well, I'm glad you asked! The word "ratatouille," despite my previous notions, is not the French word for "rat"; it is actually a vegetable stew made with tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, eggplant, and garlic and can be served either cold or hot.

Now aren't you glad you asked?!