Ratatouille [Blu-ray]

     Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 11/06/2007 Run time: 111 minutes Rating: G      One key point: if you can get over the natural gag reflex of seeing hundreds of rodents swarming over a restaurant kitchen, you will be free to enjoy the glory of Ratatouille, a delectable Pixar hit. Our hero is Remy, a French rat (voiced by Patton Oswalt) with a cultivated palate, who rises from his humble beginnings to become head chef at a Paris restaurant. How this happens is the stuff of Pixar magic, that ineffable blend of headlong comedy, seamless technology, and wonder (in the latter department, this movie's views of nighttime Paris are on a par with French cinema at its most lyrical). Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) doesn't quite keep all his spinning plates in the air, but the gags are great and the animation amazingly expressive--Remy's shrugs and nods are nimbler than many flesh-and-blood actors can manage. Refreshingly, the movie's characters aren't celebrity-reliant, with the most recognizable voice coming from Peter O'Toole's snide food critic. (This fellow provides the film's sole sour note--an oddly pointed slap at critics, those craven souls who have done nothing but rave about Pixar's movies over the years.) Brad Bird's style is more quick-hit and less resonant than the approach of Pixar honcho John Lasseter, but it's hard to complain about a movie that cooks up such bountiful pleasure. --Robert Horton

Comment:
    The box was in the original, unopened/brand new condition. I was very happy with my purchase and with the speedy service I received. The little one this was purchased for, loves to watch it! I loved the movie only because I love critters. My daughter loved the movie because a rat can cook and talk. The move is cute and fine detailed. Although warning after watching it ten times can make you sick of it. So watch it here and there. BUY this movie for any one that loves critters and kids that love to watch animals cook. Do not buy for someone that easily gets grossed out or is majorly afraid of germs and critters.