Movies
Ratatouille Review
Review Ratings
Final Review Score
Great
Written and directed by Brad Bird (taking over from original director Jan Pinkava), Ratatouille (2007) stands as one of Pixar Animation Studios’ most sophisticated, artistic, and universally lauded achievements. Setting a high-stakes comedy against the grueling environment of high-end French gastronomy, the film delivered a poignant celebration of passion, artistic integrity, and critics. In this detailed Ratatouille movie review, we explore how Patton Oswalt, Peter O’Toole, Thomas Keller’s culinary guidance, and Michael Giacchino’s accordion-infused Paris score served up an Oscar-winning masterpiece.
Gusteau’s Kitchen, The Marionette Partnership, and Anton Ego’s Critique
The story follows Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a determined rat blessed with an abnormally heightened sense of smell and taste. Refusing to eat garbage like his colony, Remy idolizes the late legendary chef Auguste Gusteau (voiced by Brad Garrett) and his motto, “Anyone can cook.” Separated from his family in the sewers of Paris, Remy finds himself beneath Gusteau’s famed restaurant. He strikes an unlikely partnership with Alfredo Linguini (voiced by Lou Romano), a clumsy new garbage boy who cannot cook. By hiding under Linguini’s toque hat and controlling his movements like a marionette by pulling his hair, Remy transforms Linguini into a culinary prodigy. Together, they must navigate the tyrannical schemes of head chef Skinner (voiced by Ian Holm) and prepare a dish capable of satisfying Anton Ego (voiced by Peter O’Toole), Paris’s most feared and severe food critic.
Patton Oswalt, Peter O’Toole, and Artistic Authenticity
Patton Oswalt brings earnest passion, warmth, and expressive voice work to Remy, while Lou Romano plays Linguini’s nervous physical comedy to perfection. Peter O’Toole gives a legendary, aristocratic performance as Anton Ego, delivering an iconic final monologue that stands as one of the finest speeches about the nature of art and criticism ever written. Janeane Garofalo adds sharp, fiery authority as Colette Tatou, the kitchen’s lone female chef who imparts the harsh realities of professional culinary discipline.
Gourmet Food Simulation, Parisian Visuals, and Michael Giacchino’s Score
To render food that looked genuinely mouth-watering, Pixar animators attended culinary classes and consulted with Chef Thomas Keller (who designed the film’s signature Confit Byaldi version of ratatouille). The team developed specialized rendering pipelines for soft food textures, wet sauces, glistening roasted meats, and steam. The visual depiction of Paris—from twilight skylines over the Seine to rain-slicked cobblestone streets—exudes romantic warmth. Composer Michael Giacchino earned an Oscar nomination for his lush, French jazz score, featuring accordion waltzes, gypsy guitars, and Camille’s infectious song “Le Festin.”
The Final Verdict
Ultimately, this Ratatouille review celebrates a brilliant, funny, and deeply inspiring triumph of storytelling. Driven by Brad Bird’s masterful screenplay and direction, extraordinary voice performances from Patton Oswalt and Peter O’Toole, stunning culinary animation, and a profound message about artistic passion, it remains an undisputed masterpiece of modern cinema.
Information
- Title: Ratatouille
- Release Date: June 29, 2007
- Director: Brad Bird
- Key Cast: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter O’Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett
- Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family
This post is part of Pixar Movies Ranked