The standard for animated films in CGI format is visually pleasing masterpieces with plotlines built for kids and a few wittily inserted adult jokes. In this regard, the newest release from the lab at Pixar misses the bag. "Ratatouille" is in fact technologically wonderful with all the ins and outs viewers have come to expect from CGI animation. However, the film fails in its attempt to hit its target audience. It is a long drama-filled piece with dialogue that is at times slightly too sophisticated for children.\nRemy (Patton Oswalt) is an amazing chef who is attempting to be renowned as the world's finest. There's only one problem: He's a rat. Living in the sewers and walls of Paris, Remy soon finds a possible outlet for his genius in a young and inexperienced chef named Linguini (Lou Ramano). Together the two begin to gain acclaim for Linguini's employer Gusteau's, which who had fallen from the pinnacle of greatness after a poor review from the most feared critic in the business, Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole). The adventure that ensues is wild and full of bumps as Remy learns about love, individuality and the art of cooking.\nUnfortunately for the children in the audience, they will be bored by the time Remy's first venture into the kitchen takes place. Parents might also be slightly disheartened as the film comments so starkly on death (even giving some images that might be frightening for children) and attempting to teach complicated lessons. However, for an older audience, "Ratatouille" is a cute film with interesting characters and a fun ending.\nWhile "Ratatouille" might suffer at the box office once word spreads that kids might not find it enjoyable, it is perhaps setting a new standard in animated films: one in which adults are the primary audience.\n-Jake Stewart C+
Part of the reason Disney/Pixar movies are so great is because they infuse so much human emotion into nonhuman characters. But after watching "Ratatouille," it's official: there's nothing human about Disney/Pixar. There's no way actual people wrote, animated and voiced this film. It had to have been done by superior perfect robots. But every single frame of every Disney/Pixar movie is perfect. Absolutely perfect. Why am I complaining about perfection? No idea -- keep 'em coming, Pixar.\n Like all Pixar films, the visuals are great and perfectly coincide with the nifty cinematography. Running through the streets and sewers of Paris, flying by on a food cart in a restaurant, there's always intriguing movement. Everything is so real-looking that when you witness all the fancy foods, you'll become depressed about being a poor college student who can't afford the luxury of frequenting five-star restaurants. The score mixes French "La vie en rose"-sounding music with smooth jazz that blends well with the story.\nAt the end of the film, the villain film critic (fantastically voiced by Peter O'Toole; it's a shame there's no Oscar category for vocal work in an animated film) gives a confessional about the work of a critic. He talks about how artists put so much work and soul into their projects, only for someone else who has done absolutely nothing to come along and destroy them. He's right -- but thankfully, there's nothing to complain about here.\n-Michael Mellini A
