No, I won't do this whole review in French, though I am tempted.
To reiterate some of what I said in the Fantasy group (the fantasy in this movie being that rats talk and like to cook and can understand humans and help them cook), Pixar really can do no wrong in my eyes. I'm not sure where I rank Ratatouille in relation to other Pixar films, but I enjoyed this movie nevertheless. Despite the rats, I was still hungry.
Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is a rat with a heightened palate. And he wants to cook and eat good food, not garbage, much to the chagrin of his family, particularly his dad (Brian Dennehy). A series of fortunate circumstances brings him to the restaurant bearing the name of Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett), a famous mass-market chef who happens to be deceased and a talking figment of Remy's imagination. While exploring the restaurant of his idol (for Remy can read cookbooks and understand TV), he encounters Linguini (Lou Romano), a young man who wants to cook but lacks any morsel of talent. The two discover each other, and realizing each has what the other one lacks (Remy has talent, Linguini looks like a human), they arrange a clever way to bring about each other's wishes. Of course, it's more complicated than all of that, and various mishaps ensue, as only they can when a rat is cooking and a human allows the rat to cook for him.
Ratatouille gets high marks for originality, superb (as in masterful) animation, sophistication, and heart. It's not the funniest Pixar, despite Disney's droll advertising to this effect. There are laughs, but they come at the hand of some slapstick moments. The dialogue is clever and witty, but there are not too many laugh-out-loud moments.
Brad Bird is the director of this film, and he also directed The Incredibles. As I mentioned in the fantasy group, this film seemed more sophisticated than some of the other Pixars, having a more "grownup" sensibility. Yet, that sophistication takes something away too. Ratatouille probably won't be enjoyed by little kids so much - there are parts that are long and slow and filled with dialogue that only the older kids will understand.
But, if you are an older kid of any age, Ratatouille will charm you because of its simple messages of following one's dream despite any limitations or obstacles. Also, the voice casting was particularly delectable, especially with Peter O'Toole voicing a very menacing food critic by the name of Anton Ego, a force to be reckoned with.
I rate Ratatouille a 9 for perfectly entertaining (though not quite a masterpiece). I felt it lacked a certain balance which prevents me from calling it a masterpiece. It's hard to describe, but I sometimes wonder at a sophisticated cartoon marketed to families. It sends a mixed message. At any rate, this movie passes the test. I own all the Pixars and watch them all repeatedly, so this will be no exception I'm sure. I'd close with a clever food or rodent pun, but I'm fresh out. Rats.
I guess not.