Remy, a little rat who is dreaming about becoming a world-class chef, comes to Paris to fulfill his passion for food and cooking in France, the world of cuisine. Ratatouille, the latest Disney animated adventure, follows this rat's journey to Paris.
When fate puts Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself situated right below a restaurant made famous by his cooking hero, Auguste Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett). Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted and unpleasant visitor in the kitchen of the fancy French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon starts to burn a funny and exciting rat race that turns the cooking world of Paris upside down.
Opportunity comes with a young boy Linguini (voiced by Lou Romano), who desperately needs to keep his job at the restaurant. Driven by his lack of cooking skills, Linguini discovers and partners the young Remy. The only problem for them is to avoid the insane head chef. They must also bring the rest of Remy's family up to his standards, win his partner a girl, and, of course, produce the finest Ratatouille in all of France.
Ratatouille is filled with lots of surprises and lots of twists and turns. The combination of Disney and Pixar never ceases to surprise, and the breathtaking landscape of Paris, France, adds a layer of realism to the film. The food looks so real and delicious, and the humans and rats look very realistic. Remy and Linguini are both lovable characters, and the audience is rooting for them the entire way.
And, as usual in a Pixar movie, viewers can always find something beyond the animation. Finding Nemo explores warmth in the cold-blooded deep sea. Cars brought lifeless metal to life. Ratatouille is no exception with Remy's confession: "I'm a rat, which makes life hard". The films, besides cute images and advanced computer technology, tell similar themes: courage, friendship and persistence. When Linguini and Remy meet, they somehow establish trust and communication, and when Linguini gets credit for a soup that the rat has saved with strategic seasonings, they team up. Remy burrows into Linguini's hair, is concealed by his toque, can see through its transparent sides and controls Linguini by pulling on his hair as if each tuft were a joystick. Together, they astonish Paris with their genius.
Like the French peasant stew for which it is named, Ratatouille isn't a fancy dish, but it's hearty and tasty, created from fresh ingredients and cooked up with unexpected flavors and dashes of spice, and it leaves a satisfying and inspiring warmth when it's done.
Director and writer Brad Bird and Pixar Animation Studios have their second hit together in Ratatouille, a follow-up to the universally popular The Incredibles.
Ratatouille opens at cinemas citywide October 19. （實習編輯：顧萍）