I don't know if Walt Disney has a massive fascination with mice or rats, but they did a lot of animated films with them as the titular character.
Disney and Pixar launched a great classic in 2007 named Ratatouille, pronounced rat-a-too-ee. Maybe those born and raised in Italy might have known the meaning and the dish that corresponds to it, but for us, it's a technically new term.
The term "more than meets the eye" perfectly describes this film.
We follow the story of a young sewer rat, Remy, who somehow develops a keen sense of smell and taste. Despite his size, he has huge dreams and ambitions of becoming a chef like his idol, Chef Gusteau. His colony, including his older brother Emile and his father, is weary of humans and satisfied with eating scraps. After they are discovered, Remy gets split from the group. Alone, he creates an image of Chef Gusteau to help him through his loneliness. The image encourages him, and he finds out that he is within reach of his prized restaurant.
Remy stumbles upon the restaurant's garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini. In an accident, Linguini messes up the soup, and Remy fixes it with the help of Gusteau's recipe that he memorized. The soup was accidentally served, and surprisingly the customers liked it. Remy is discovered by other chefs and asks Linguini to kill him, but he convinces him to help him cook.
The two develop a way to cook normally by Remy having to control Linguini's movements through his hair. They practiced day and night to master the actions needed to recreate the soup. Chef Colette, a female chef, trains Linguini but does not want to create a new recipe and instead follows the one made by Chef Gusteau. Remy meets Emile and reunites with his colony. He tells his dad that he intends to stay at Gusteau's. His dad tries to convince him but ignores him and leaves.
Chef Skinner, the current owner of the restaurant, reads a letter from Linguini's mother stating that the latter is the rightful successor of the restaurant. He hides the evidence, but Remy finds it and shows it to Linguini. This forces Chef Skinner out. The restaurant thrives due to Remy's new and innovative recipes, while Linguini develops a romantic relationship with Chef Colette. A renowned food critic, Anton Ego, heard about the rise of Gusteau's, which he had negatively reviewed before. He announces that he will dine once again at the restaurant. Days before the critic arrives, Remy and Linguini have a falling out, and as revenge, he calls his colony to ransack the food storage. Linguini furiously kicks out Remy and his clan.
The next day, Chef Skinner captures Remy, but he is freed with the help of Emile and his dad. He returned to Gusteau's and was reconciled with Linguini. The other chefs disapproved of this and decided to resign. Colette returns, and Remy's clan helps them cook while Linguini waits for the tables. Remy decides to create a dish called Ratatouille to impress Ego. He was impressed and asked for the chef. He stays until the restaurant closes and meets Remy. He thinks it's insane, but Remy shows him how to do it.
When his article was published, he gave excellent reviews without revealing Remy's true identity. The authorities closed the restaurant, and Ego was stripped of his job and credibility. Remy, Linguini, and Colette open up a new restaurant called La Ratatouille which Ego frequently visits, and the colony is safely tucked within its premises.
I genuinely liked the concept of this film. We view rats as a pest in society, but this film creatively thinks of them as someone who can manifest dreams or ambitions. Seriously if anyone or anything can cook like Remy, it will be a delight.
I am unfamiliar with many of the voice actors in this show except for Anton Ego. The legendary Lawrence of Arabia actor Peter O'Toole plays him. His presence is menacing because of his deep and solid voice acting. But of course, both Remy and Linguini's voice actors did so well.
Of course, like a fine-dining experience, other than a good wine, melancholic music must be played in the background. This movie did just that. Its soundtrack features several sweet French sounds that are very sweet to hear.
You cannot deny the legacy this film establishes in popular culture. If you have seen Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022), there is a scene or multiverse where they are transported in a Pixar-inspired world, but instead of a rat controlling the chef, it is a raccoon—pretty funny stuff. I am starting to imagine that if a person has a huge chef hat, a rat controls them. This movie inspired theme park attractions, video games, and other films.
This movie is filled with absolute fun and great food. I enjoyed every moment of its almost 120-minute runtime.
I recommend this movie, especially if you want a feel-good experience. Although the film is for a general audience, I think there are lessons here that are important as well. Be sure to pay attention to some details that the plot tells you.
Like a lovely dinner, I will give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.