My parents aren’t huge fans of the animated genre, so I was surprised when they asked to join the kids and I at a matinee of Disney Pixar’s latest offering, Ratatouille. They assured me that they had heard nothing but great buzz, and were sure that they would enjoy it. We arrived early, and watched as the theater grew crowded. There were plenty of families there, but quite a few groups of adults as well. As I settled into my seat, I grinned, thinking that there were likely quite a few food bloggers seeing the film this weekend, too.

The pre-movie animated short, which must have had a title that I missed when I was adjusting my four year-old’s seat, was screamingly funny. My mom remarked that it was worth the price of admission, just for the short.

Disney Pixar has always blown me away with the artistry and imagination captured in every production. Ratatouille was gorgeously animated. The variety of textures, surfaces, scenery and other elements were seamless and so believable that at times I had to remind myself that this was a created world. The sweeping views of Paris made me long to head to France, and the amazing array of food made me hungry.

The stories behind Disney Pixar’s films are always rich and inventive, and what I believe sets them apart from other studios. Ratatouille is no exception.

As
Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes says:

It's the film every foodie worth her salt has been waiting for. Pixar's Ratatouille (rah-tah-too-ee) is about a rat with gourmet sensibilities who longs to be a chef, and manages to follow his dream into one of the best restaurants in Paris.

The lovely Elise, who knows a thing or two about food and foodies, links to several reviews, including commentary from Megnut:

As usual, Pixar's loaded its film with commentary on contemporary culture. There's some great stuff on chefs as brands and the nature of criticism.

Simply Recipe’s readers
wax enthusiastic as they share their thoughts on Ratatouille, too.

Xina over at Exeunt Omnes is also a fan:

I adored this film; Ratatouille is smart and sweet and relentlessly charming. You probably haven't felt this sympathetic towards rats since The Secret of NIMH. Even the silly French accents are endearing, though Janeane Garafallo's tested the limits of the slack I was willing to give. As always with a Pixar project, the visual details -- from the huge matte backdrops of Paris down to the tiniest reflections in a copper pot -- are seen to with astonishing care and attention. Remy's eyes will melt your heart and his passion for food will whet your appetite. Don't go hungry!

Clearly, the adults were sold… but what about the kids?

Judging from my own children, Ratatouille, while quite sophisticated in the details, is totally accessible for kids of all ages. My kids loved it. My four year-old picked right up on the Rat-Patootie joke, and has been getting lots of mileage out of that. My six and eight year-olds loved all the scampering and the hair-pulling antics. We all came away delighted with our afternoon at the theater.

Ratatouille has something for everyone. Don’t miss this fantastic film!
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Jenny Lauck is craving some stinky cheese and crusty bread.

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