The Valve - A Literary Organ

<< Ohio State University Press' Open Access Initiative | Front Page | Fancy Talk in Deadwood and Philadelphia >>

Friday, June 29, 2007

Ratatouille

Posted by Bill Benzon on 06/29/07 at 04:29 PM

Brad Bird’s Ratatouille has been getting a lot of positive buzz since last week’s 600 theatre sneak preview. I’ve just seen it and loved it. I thought it a bit slow at points, but it brought a tear to my eye more than once, had me laughing out loud many times and something else, something I’m not sure how to conceptualize, but ... it made me believe. The small audience (at an early afternoon show) applauded at the end.

Animation historian and critic Michael Barrier thought it was “in many respects a marvel, taking full advantage of the capatilities of computer animation in ways that other cartoon studios’ films (and other Pixar films) haven’t even approached.” But he had reservations about the premise – a rat-chef using a busboy as his puppet – the story, and the lack of Parisian atmosphere despite the all the detail. Note: Barrier thought Bird’s 2005 The Incredibles was the best CGI film to date.

The film’s been accumulating kudos over at Jerry Beck’s and Amid Amid’s Cartoon Brew. Jerry started things off after last week’s sneak preview – “the best film of the summer.” Amid followed up yesterday, noting that veteran animator Victor Haboush (Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmations, The Iron Giant) said it was the best animated film since Pinocchio.

Is it really that good? Don’t know, doesn’t matter. I’ve read positive reviews in The New York Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, Slate, and Salon. With 98 reviews in, it’s currently rated 95% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes.

Comments

From what I can deduce, Ratatouille ventures into territory untouched by previous computer-animated films: it takes nonhuman characters and allocates very human desires, emotions, problems, and--most importantly--catchphrases to them.

I wonder if this will develop into a commercial trend that never ends, a spiral of derivation that manages to coax the American public into viewing similar titles over and over again.

By on 06/29/07 at 05:36 PM | Permanent link to this comment

Jed, both Antz and A Bug’s Life did that.

By Anatoly on 06/30/07 at 04:37 AM | Permanent link to this comment

I’m sensing the mildest touch of sarcasm in Jed’s comment.

By on 06/30/07 at 02:29 PM | Permanent link to this comment

Anatoly, you’re missing quite a few more examples.

By on 07/02/07 at 10:13 AM | Permanent link to this comment