"Ratatouille"

Disney, and Pixar's latest masterpiece, "Ratatouille"

What can be said, that was not already stated in the title to my preview? The answer is, A LOT!

Having been a fan of Pixar, and just about anything they have produced over the years, this latest work seemed to sneak up on me without much fan fair.

I knew of the movie, and had seen a few snippets and clips here and there, but nothing about it seemed to jump off the TV, and say "WATCH ME!"

Of course since this was a Pixar creation, I already knew that I would either see the movie in theater, own it on DVD once released, or more then likely, both.

On the 4th of July, myself and some family members went to see the movie, and from Beginning to end I was thoroughly entertained. The main character in "Ratatouille" is a lovable little rat named "Remy" who for some reason has a nose for all things eatable, and how they should be put together with the correct ingredients to form what will be discovered as culinary master pieces.

Remy finds himself separated from his family, and whisked away to the very streets of Paris where he as daydreamed about the famous chef that teaches a simple principal, "Anyone can cook." I will not spoil the rest of the story, but needless to say there are twists, turns, adventures, sadness, happiness, and triumphs as all good animated movies should have.

If you or some one you knows owns "Finding Nemo" or "Monsters Inc." I encourage you to watch the bonus material on both to get a feel for the mastery of animation at it's finest. The brilliant minds behind the scenes at Pixar show you exactly what kind of work, and time it takes to put together again what I can only describe as master pieces.

There is so much in this movie, as there is in any Pixar movie, that is probably missed by 90% of the audience. The details that go into every single frame of the movie is just beyond the imagination. The subtleties of the light hitting fog as Linguini rides down the streets of Paris on his bicycle. The texture of our furry little companions pink feet. The shadows of the alley at night in front of the restaurant. The shine off the copper pots and pans in the kitchen. Simply put, "Realism" takes on a whole new meaning when Pixar signs on the bottom line.

I have to admit one small but sad truth. While this is still a fantastic animated feature, I felt a little underwhelmed by the actual story itself. Having said this, I understand the difficulties in creating "New" ideas in the land of remakes, sequels, and remakes of remakes, so I still stand and applaud Disney, and Pixar for their collective effort in making this very cute movie come to life.

Do yourself, and your family a favor this next weekend. Go see Ratatouille" and enjoy a wonderful time, as Remy, Linguini, and the rest of the gang take on you on a delightful journey!

Be sure and check out the official web site of the movie!

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/ratatouille/