Ratatouille

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: June 29, 2007

DVD Release Date: November 6, 2007

Plot 411: A rat who dreams of becoming a chef joins forces with a lowly kitchen boy and together they become a sensation.

Review: This is a cute animated film that teaches us to follow our dreams no matter how big they are and how small we may seem. Remy (Patton Oswalt) is a rat who dreams of becoming a famous chef. He has the nose to do it too, but his family and clan don't believe in him. They think that humans and rats can never coexist. Instead of fostering his culinary abilities, they have him sniffing out poisons. When Remy becomes separated from his family, he forges ahead with his dreams and uses Luingini (Lou Romano), a kitchen boy, to fulfill his dreams. What Remy cannot do because of his size, Luingini is able to do for him. Together the two make hit after hit at a restaurant despite the growing suspicion of Skinner (Ian Holm), the restaurant's owner. This is a well-written animated film that was pretty entertaining to watch. It's a bit similar to the 2008 The Tale Of Desperaux, but I liked this movie a lot better. Somehow, despite Desperaux having a hand-drawn quality similar to storybooks we've all grown up enjoying, the film's artistic vision fell a little short. Ratatouille's animation is bold and vibrantly alive. However, the one fault of Ratatouille is that it didn't make my mouth water. You'd think a film about food would have you salivating in your seat. Despite this, it's still a good piece of animation.

Watch It: If you like rooting for the underdog.

Skip It: If you think rats are creepy.

The Tale of Despereaux

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: December 19, 2008

DVD Release Date: April 7, 2009

Plot 411: This is the tale of a courageous mouse who isn't afraid to be different.

Review: This wasn't exactly what I expected but it was watchable (probably only the one time). What animated film isn't, right? Like most fairy tales, there's a narrator who does the whole, "Once upon a time" thing. I actually found her (Sigouney Weaver) to be quite boring and unnecessary. But for all I know, they're just copying an effect from the original book. I thought the main idea of a heroic mouse had so much potential but was left waiting for more. To me, the movie seemed pretty flat throughout. There was never really a moment where I felt like I was rooting for Despereaux. In fact, the movie didn't even really seem to be about Despereaux as much as I'd have liked it to be. I really enjoyed the animation techniques though. It really had that storybook feel to it with its warm tones and lighting. It's as if I was watching the pages of a book come to life. Definitely a great effect. The scenes had the ability to pull you into their world. Big time names helped out with the vocal talent - Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy and Stanley Tucci.

Watch It: With the kids because they'll get a kick out of Despereaux's huge ears.

Skip It: If you don't have to watch it. It's not one of those cool kid films made for adults.

Trailer: