Ratatouille (2007) Dir: Brad Bird

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As controversial as it has become in recent times, Disney can still lay claim to creating some of the best and most beloved animated films of all-time. This 2007 adventure, from director Brad Bird, is one of those animated films that really has aged wonderfully. Like many of us, I grew up enjoying it time and time again. I can even recall begging my parents to make the titular ratatouille dish, although I also remember not liking it at all.

I was pleased to see how well the animation has aged, despite almost twenty years having passed since its release, yes really. It's easy to forget how far animation has come until one watches a film like 'Toy Story', which, though a classic, is most certainly showing its age by now. This, however, still looks fairly crisp and satisfying. The characters are cartoonish without looking dated, the props and settings are textured - it's high quality animation, even by today's standards.

The narrative still pulls all the emotional strings, or hairs, that one would hope, and brings to life a unique and inventive little story about an unusual rat with an unusual dream. It feeds off of the romance of Paris, and of French cuisine, and even boasts a tremendously scary antagonist, whose own story is well-woven into the plot. It's such an enjoyable adventure about dreaming bigger than yourself and showing determination in the face of daunting adversity.

Patton Oswalt was such a good casting choice to voice the film's little protagonist; he did such a wonderful job. He conveys the excitement, the resilience, and the vulnerability of Remy excellently. Co-star Lou Romano was just as animated in his own significant role too, expressing his character's earnest emotions and lack of surety very well. They had pretty strong chemistry as a duo as well, which was very useful for their heavily linked roles.

Ian Holm's vocal performance as a tiny angry chef was simply brilliant. Not only did he commit to the exuberance and flamboyance of his character expertly, he was so altogether entertaining that he made his character quite unforgettable. In a similar vein, Peter O'Toole's turn as the antagonistic and seemingly malevolent food critic is simply magnificent. He creates so much gravitas and threat with his voice - it actually reminded me a lot of Ian McKellen's voice - I loved it.

Of the remaining supporting cast, there were a few who deserved praise for their various voice acting performances, with my favourites provided by Janeane Garofalo, Peter Sohn, Brian Dennehy, and Brad Garrett. Of these, Garofalo and Sohn were the most entertaining and consistent voices, but, in fairness, all were at least fairly good or better. This film had a strong cast throughout.

Overall, I think there are very few films that will stand the test of time, but it's hard to imagine that this one won't. One viewing is enough to see why this is one of the best and most popular Disney films of the century thus far. It's a certified classic piece of animation, and encourages its viewers, especially the younger ones, to aspire to be, and work to be, all that they hope and want.