Ratatouille [Blu-ray]

This another great Disney film that has a good storyline, good animation and just an overall good family film for all ages. A must have for any true original disney lover. It will put you in the mood to cook and eat that is for sure.

Movie - 5.0Prior to viewing this movie, I hadn't seen any Disney/Pixar films since Toy Story. I know, I'm out of the loop, but thank goodness I found this gem in Ratatouille. Never had I been so brought back to the joys of childhood where I could watch a movie and have it bring about so many forms of sheer joy and innocent emotion and feel like I actually was a kid again. But at the same time, I found a very subtle maturity to the story and characters of this movie as well. The amazement of cooking and food, the exotic backdrop of Paris, the silly, yet serious interactions of a rat and his handler, then the denouement of a hard-nosed food critic who rediscovered himself and reasserted the happiness of which only food can do to a person; all of these elements make for a very light-hearted comedy about what it means to find something in life that you can dedicate yourself to, pursue, and enjoy to your heart's content. In particular, I was every impressed with the script and screenplay. Remy's conscience being played by an imaginary version of Gusteau was brilliant in studying his overall character as the audience gets a clear, basic understanding of what Remy is thinking to himself. Linguini is a "lovable loser" archetype that tries so hard, but always manages to bumble things. There's a sort of coyness that makes him fun to root for and his "ambitions" are commendable, kind of like an "everyman," so I really enjoyed watching him as well. Then, there are all of the other supporting characters in Chef Skinner, Anton Ego, Collette, Remy's family, etc. that ultimately make the film one very enjoyable experience. Top that off with a great soundtrack by Michael Giacchino who captures much of the same exoticism that makes Paris so intriguing, and you've got this lovely Oscar-wining feature.Video - 5.0Being a direct digital transfer of CG to BD, the result is flawless. Colors are vibrant with lots of yellows and golds accentuating the color palette of the kitchen at Gusteau's. Black levels and contrast are perfect in revealing all the fine detailed lines from the hugeness of Linguini's nose down to the tiny hairs and whiskers of Remy and his clan. Images are always sharp, and the image itself provides for some great example of depth and dimensionality. There are no signs of aliasing, color banding, or any other hiccups making for some beautiful shots of photography amongst the backdrop of Paris, and even some of the inner housing of Linguini's apartment, the kitchen, and the sewers. There also appear to be no signs of artificial enhancement or manipulation, making this a transfer as perfect as you can get and ready to be showcased for all.Audio - 5.0Using an uncompressed PCM 5.1 track, Ratatouille is equally as stunning as it's video counterpart. Dialogue is clear, and directionality is particularly precise during kitchen scenes with the clanging of pots and pans, whooshing of flames, and dribbles of liquid all over the place. Music accompanies the sound effects perfectly and immerses the viewer with some wonderful and adventurous melodies that really compliment the story telling, never overdoing itself or intruding over the dialogue. LFEs are most prominent during musical numbers and when things are being chopped up. There really are no flaws with the general sound design and placement and should be enjoyable by the ears of any.Extras - 4.5Personally, I found the extras to be very fun and informative. But the only gripe I have is that they didn't put the "making of" featurettes on as separate 25GB disc by itself. Instead of SD specials, they could've well been HD. Other than that, though, they're all very enjoyable. The Pixar animated shorts are always a nice addition, while the "rat history" as narrated by Remy and Emile served as a cute parody of how rats could be thought of under a different light (not that it'll ever happen since rats aren't as smart as this, but the effort is appreciated). Then of course there's the production segments, which continue to amaze me in how hard it really is to produce films of this caliber. I highly respect and give thanks to all the people involved in these types of projects.Overall - 5.0The only thing that would've made this release any better is an extra disc specifically reserved for the special features. But other than that, it's an extreme delight to have watched this film for its cheery and lovable narrative about personal passion and the following of one's dreams. With immaculate A/V quality and an excellent set of extras and special features, I can't recommend this title enough for both kids and adults.

Great movie! For kids and adults.

My grandson absolutely loves this movie and we do too! He will stop playing just to watch it because he don't want to miss anything. He just sits and laughs at it and there's nothing that makes me happier than to hear him laugh and see him smile. He's just turned 11 months old.

Very cute movie. Laughs through out. Animation is colorful and bright.

Cute movie

This CD came unsealed. I have not used it yet so I only hope it will work. Not sure why it came and the CD container was not sealed.

Amazingly entertaining for a children's movie