Daily Archives: July 9, 2007

Movie Reviews

Movie Review – Ratatouille

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Ratatouille

Directed by Brad Bird; co-directed by Jan Pinkava

Starring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Peter Sohn, Ian Holm, Peter O’Toole, Brian Dennehy, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, and Will Arnet.

Backstory

I know, I know. I’ve complained enough in the past that animated movies these days have become too much about the talking animals. But, I just had to go see Ratatouille, because it’s the newest film from Brad Bird. Bird made my all-time favourite film, The Iron Giant, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest American animators working today. Can Bird bring something fresh to the talking animal genre?

Plot

Remy is a rat with a very special gift: highly developed senses of taste and smell. This has given him an appreciation for very fine food, not the garbage that rats eat, and he also dreams of being a chef. Fate and circumstance soon bring Remy to one of Paris’s finest restaurants, Gusteau’s, which has fallen on hard times ever since Gusteau himself died after reading a bad review. The new head chef, Skinner, is no longer concerned with fine food, but instead, exploiting the Gusteau name for profit. And then, in comes Linguini, a well-meaning but talentless young man who wants a job. Remy and Linguini then form a unique partnership so Linguini can keep his job, and Remy can cook. And soon, Remy is torn: return to his rats nest home, or live his dream of being a chef?

What I Liked

This movie is funny as hell. But, unlike most talking animal films, where the humour comes from pop-culture references and fart jokes, the humour comes from the characters, and their uniquely defined quirks. And, indeed, these are characters that you actually grow to love and care for.

What I Didn’t Like

In retrospect, the plot is a bit clichéd.

Final Assessment

Mr. Bird, you’ve given us another winner.

3.5 Nibs

Movie Reviews

Movie Review – Transformers

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Transformers

Directed by Michael Bay

Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Jon Voight, John Turturro, and the voices of Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving.

Backstory

Nostalgia for the 80s has proven to be very profitable, especially in this era when brand names are more important at the box office than fresh, new ideas. Really doesn’t matter for me. I grew up with the Transformers, and when I heard that a live-action movie was coming, I was all “Oh my God!” And then I heard Michael Bay was directing, and I was like, “I’ll still give it a chance.” Were my childhood expectations answered?

Plot

A US Army base in Qatar is attacked by a mysterious black helicopter that turns into a mysterious black robot. As the US Department of Defense gets to work analyzing this new threat, teenager Sam Witwicky is getting ready to buy his first car. Sam gets stuck with a beat up old Camaro that has a mind of its own. It’s not too long before the Camaro is revealed to be Bumblebee, and Sam is drawn into the centuries-old conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons. And it seems that, somewhere in Sam’s past, is the key to finding the Allspark, the Transformer Holy Grail. Will Optimus Prime and the Autobots find it before Megatron can use it to conquer the universe?

What I Liked

Holy crap, the special effects are amazing. And the final half of the movie just doesn’t let up, as it become this never-ending series of robot carnage…. And I got all the geek-out moments, with my favourite being the all-too-brief flashback to a war-torn Cybertron.

What I Didn’t Like

We really didn’t get to know any of the Transformers as characters. The plot is very, very slim. Some of the dialogue is cheezy. And the end felt kind of abrupt.

Final Assessment

I think this is what they mean when they call a movie a “thrill ride,” because I walked out of the theatre with the exact same feeling I get when I step off a rollercoaster.

3.5 Nibs