Ratatouille
DIR: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava • WRI: Brad Bird • PROD: Brad Lewis • DOP: Robert Anderson, Sharon Calahan • ED: Darren T. Holmes • DES: Harley Jessup • CAST: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Janeane Garofalo, Peter O'Toole, Peter Sohn, Brad Garrett

For over a decade, Pixar Animation Studios enjoyed a creative run unlike any other in the history of Hollywood. Debuting with Toy Story in 1995, a groundbreaking classic that more or less invented computer-generated animation as a medium, the fledgling studio went from strength to astonishing strength. Six films, each one a masterpiece, each one improving on its predecessor. A Pixar film was rich but not pretentious, universal in appeal without being broad, and smart without forgetting to include a few fart jokes for the kids. Critically adored, and a commercial juggernaut, Pixar seemed bulletproof. Until last year, when the studio released the under-appreciated Cars, a film that – while far from being a failure, and infinitely superior to the sub-par efforts put out by other studios – was something of a disappointment. Critics’ responses were mixed and, compared to its predecessor The Incredibles, it underperformed at the box office. What's more, the glut of mediocre output from the company's rivals meant that many were pronouncing the CG animation medium dead in the water. A year on, and Pixar, not to mention the industry, needs a hit.

By rights, Ratatouille shouldn't be that film. A troubled project, it was originally going to be the feature debut of Jan Pinkava, the mastermind behind Oscar-winning short Geri's Game, before Pixar management decided he wasn't up to the job and put The Incredibles creator Brad Bird on the film. Its premise – an anthropomorphic rat wants to be a cook in a Parisian restaurant – doesn't exactly promise either big laughs or storytelling gold. Not to mention that we've already had a CG rat movie in the past 12 months (Aardman Animation's okay-ish Flushed Away).

And yet, it's hard to find a single fault in Ratatouille, a movie that drips invention, intelligence and charm from every digitally-mastered frame. Bird has taken the bones of the material and made it very much a Brad Bird Film – a smart, moving work that puts story and character above celebrity voices and pop culture in-jokes. The result is easily the best CG cartoon since, aptly enough, The Incredibles.

Explaining the story of Ratatouille doesn't really do it justice, since this is a film where the pleasure is in the subtle sights, sounds and flavours that fill every scene. Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is a rat with a keenly developed sense of smell, something that makes him unique in a colony of garbage-eating rats. Intrigued by Gusteau, a deceased celebrity chef he glimpses on TV, Remy decides that his calling is that of a great chef. However, following a hilarious incident involving a cook book, an elderly lady and a shotgun, Remy finds himself separated from his family, ending up in the sewers below Paris, where he finds Gusteau's famous restaurant. The problem is that, being a rat, he's not exactly welcome in the kitchen. Fortunately he finds a vessel for his culinary creativity in clumsy kitchen assistant Linguini, who, while being a terrible cook, is at least human. The two form a partnership whereby Remy controls Linguini’s cooking, gaining the latter respect and the former a chance to pursue a lifelong dream.

It shouldn't work, but it does – beautifully. As a character, Remy proves surprisingly emotive and sympathetic – a particularly impressive feat given that there are whole stretches of the film where he doesn't even speak. The cooking scenes, with Remy manipulating Linguini from under his hat, are moments of terrifically energetic slapstick that recall the golden age of silent comedy. The animation is never less than superb, from the individual strands of hair on Linguni's head to the vast details of the Paris cityscape. The vocal performances benefit hugely from Pixar’s decision to go for talent over star names (although we do get Ian Holm as an evil head chef and an excellent Peter O'Toole as snooty food critic Anton Ego). Like all the best animation, you genuinely forget that you're watching a cartoon at all, until afterwards, when you find yourself wondering just how a machine based on ones and zeros can create synthetic culinary dishes that make your mouth genuinely water, or how a version of Paris entirely manufactured by some guys on a computer in California can give a better portrayal of the city to rival anything by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Slower than many of Pixar's other films, Ratatouille’s 111-minute running time may prove something of a challenge to younger audience members, while a romantic subplot feels a little tacked on. Nonetheless, Ratatouille is never anything less than a joy to watch. Bird is a master of the medium, using it to create manic action sequences and impossible camera moves while never forgetting to serve the story, or indeed the audience, first. Ratatouille's theme – the pursuit of excellence and the sacrifices required – is an especially relevant one here. Compared to the focus-grouped, lowest-common-denominator Shrek sequels of this world, Ratatouille shows just how far a little imagination and effort can go. Once again, Pixar has raised the bar.

Scott Townsend
(Read biog here)

Rated G (see IFCO website for details)
Ratatouille is released on 12th October 2007
Ratatouille – Official website