Ratatouille

Dir: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt
Year: 2007

Borman's animation badunza (don't look it up - I just made it up) continues with Ratatouille from Pixar. Brad Bird brought us The Incredibles and The Iron Giant and this... the man's a ledge(nd).

Out of those three - not that there's any need to compare them, but I will do for the sake of you small minded people - Ratatouille is by far my favourite. I felt a great kinship with Remi and his love of food. I'm sure Dodge would too but he refuses to watch anything that has rats in it. The snob.

Narry B finds that animation films drawn him more than 'real' films. You would think it would be the opposite, but I can't help shouting at the TV when the bad guy gets the upper hand, or there's a near miss with a grenade in a Disney film.

The plot goes a bit middle ground about half way through after an amazing start, and resorts to predictable Disney formula towards the end, which is why it goes down to Top Work instead of Genius. But it's got all the makings of a classic with a cheeky sense of humour and enough action to have you biting your fingerbones.

Top Wok!

Wall-E

Dir: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Jeff Garlin (from Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Another Pixar production from the director of Finding Nemo. NB saw this on Blu-Ray and visually it's stunning. A little bit too stunning. It looks and feels like a technical demo for the first half. It doesn't help that there is no, or little, dialog for the first 30 minutes. It's a bold move, respect due, but it doesn't quite work.

Things really kick off when Wall-E goes to space. This is where it peaks visually too. It kind of reminds me of Prince Joe Cool in Space, that short story classic. Wall-E can grasp at the stars.

The story really gets going when Wall-E and the fate of humanity are tied together thru the existence of a plant. Jeff Garlin plays the overweight, under-educated leader of nation of humans addicted to entertainment.

The analogies and predictions for the future are a bit contrived (particularly the Adam and Eve thing, and the 'we're all becoming fat and destroying the environment' motif) but still worthy.

I didn't quite take to it as others would becuase I didn't feel anyting for Wall-E, but it's an entertaining film with the usual Pixar quality of production.

Good!