🐭🍝 Ratatouille (2007) Review
(Dedicated in memory of our dear family friend, Ms. Carmon — who brought the warmth of Italy into every room she entered. This one’s for her.)
Died, on January 10, 2022
Trailer:
🧑🍳 What’s Cookin’: The Plot Rundown
Set in the romantic underbelly (literally) of Paris, Ratatouille follows Remy, a rat with refined taste and a not-so-subtle superiority complex when it comes to food. He doesn’t just want to eat scraps — he wants to be a chef. Through a bizarre twist of fate, he teams up with Linguini, a flailing garbage boy at a once-famous restaurant, and together they become an unlikely culinary duo.
Oh, and Remy controls Linguini by pulling on his hair like a human meat puppet. Because why not?
🎭 Character Breakdown (Voiced by Legends & Icons):
- Remy (Patton Oswalt) – Our snobby but lovable rat protagonist with the palate of Gordon Ramsay and the optimism of a Pixar mascot. He’s the heart, the ambition, and let’s be real — he’s kind of a control freak. But we root for him.
- Linguini (Lou Romano) – Socially awkward human noodle. Adorable, bumbling, and totally incapable of surviving without Remy yanking his scalp.
- Colette (Janeane Garofalo) – The only competent chef in the kitchen. She’s fierce, sarcastic, and sharp enough to cut glass.
- Skinner (Ian Holm) – One of our delicious antagonists. Short, shady, and constantly suspicious. Think if Napoleon had a mustache and was allergic to rats.
- Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole) – The food critic. Cold, theatrical, terrifying — until he’s not. His arc? Chef’s kiss. His voice? Made entirely of smoke and British judgment.
- Django (Brian Dennehy) – Remy’s dad. Well-meaning, but emotionally constipated. And responsible for that scene.
🌧️ A Scene Burned into My Childhood Psyche
Let’s talk trauma. That moment where Django takes Remy to the surface to show him the reality of the world — a rain-soaked storefront window full of dead rats strung up like cautionary tales? Yeah. That scene singlehandedly made me question going outside at night for a while. The thunder. The lightning. The rat corpses. That’s some dark Pixar energy right there.
🍷 Atmosphere & Aesthetic: Why This Film is a Whole Mood
This film oozes with love for food, culture, and (oddly) vermin. The Parisian vibe is romantic and intimate — cobblestone streets, cozy kitchens, soft lighting. Even the sewer looks oddly charming. Ratatouille feels like a love letter to creativity, cuisine, and chasing dreams — no matter how absurd or rat-infested they may be. And the animation? Still jaw-droppingly gorgeous. From boiling broth to crusty baguettes, it’s food porn at its finest.
👨🍳 Let’s Talk Villains — Because They’re Delicious
- Skinner – He’s not evil-evil, just petty, greedy, and incredibly entertaining. His paranoia drives half the movie’s chaos, and you love watching him lose.
- Anton Ego – The real final boss. But the beauty of Ego is how the film doesn’t make him just a cliché. His takedown isn’t through yelling — it’s through taste. That final bite of ratatouille that crumbles his cold exterior? One of the most powerful mic drops in Pixar history. He goes from terrifying gatekeeper to eloquent ally. A perfect redemption arc.
📝 Final Thoughts
Ratatouille isn’t just one of Pixar’s best — it’s one of those rare animated films that grows with you. As a kid, you love the rat hijinks. As an adult, you cry when a food critic eats a vegetable dish. The film somehow blends absurdity with sincerity, reminding us that “not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”
Also, shoutout to Remy for giving us the most relatable quote in cinematic history:
“If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.”
Same, Remy. Same.
Rating: 10/10
(Still slightly traumatized by the rat corpse window. Still totally worth it.)
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING – Ending Breakdown Below ⚠️
If you haven’t seen the movie, stop here unless you want to ruin one of the best third acts Pixar’s ever cooked up.
Ego’s Review:
After Remy and the rats help create the titular dish, Anton Ego is served something so simple, yet so powerful — it sends him into a full childhood flashback spiral. It’s the taste of memory. Of home. It disarms him. That one bite does what a thousand arguments couldn’t.
The Fallout:
Ego loses credibility, but gains a soul. Gusteau’s restaurant gets shut down (health codes + rats = duh), but a new, rat-friendly restaurant opens instead — La Ratatouille. Ego becomes its most loyal patron. Remy becomes its head chef.
And the rats? They get their own little dining area under the floorboards. Welcome to wholesome chaos.
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