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Topic: Ratatouille > what'd yah think ?
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blue eyes
Member
Member # 259
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posted
So how was it ? ? ?
Story ?
Animation ?
Character design ?
Art BG color design etc ?
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devourax
IE # 275
Member # 2197
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posted
Just got back with the Disney crew.
All I can say is...man oh man...oh man.
Pixar surely delivers. Brad is my hero.
As you could expect from the best in the biz, Pixar delivers top notch animation, clever character design, great story, great character development..... and and and and....
The CG benchmark is held so dang high anymore.
(not so great for the little guys) The CG technology in this films blows away anything I've ever seen. (Surf's Up comes close...but I digress....no need to compare rats to pengs)
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the film. The story was exceptional.....hats off to all who worked on this film!!!! (loved the 2d too)
No critiques here...I seriously can't think of anything I didn't like.....
I was smiling through the entire film.
Still am.
-dev
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Devourax
http://devourax.blogspot.com/
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Gagne Michel
IE # 40
Member # 365
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posted
Ratatouille blew me away.
Brad is amazing. I'm glad he let me put some of my artsy fartsy animation in the movie ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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mojodesign
IE # 237
Member # 3158
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posted
Hey Michel, what animation in the movie were you responsible for?...did you happen to design the sequences were Remy tasted the food and had those sort of "visions"?
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Semaj
Member
Member # 3131
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posted
quote:
I did both scenes where Remi, and later on, Emile have visions of taste.
That sir, is the art of animation. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I just saw Ratatouille today. One thing I really love about Pixar is how they've been upholding the finer traditions of an animated presentation.
They showed a cartoon before the film, as is customary.
The actual movie was awesome. The coloring was brilliant, and the story kept me wired the whole time. I'm loving how Pixar has expanded their own films to near the two-hour mark, which only gives them more to tell. Also, the human animation has truly evolved in the past 12 years.
Some people are concerned about Pixar being "high-brow". Let them. They're perfectly capable of maintaining their winning streak, something even Disney hasn't done with in their 70 years of feature film production. More importantly, they give us something to hope for, in a time when mediocrity and repetition is valued over innovation and variation, which happened to be the main message behind this movie.
There is absolutely no reason why Ratatouille shall be this summer's premier film.
![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Pretty darn good, eh?
I'm glad audiences are finally getting to appreciate an animated motion picture that's head and shoulders over the competition. (assuming there is any competition)
What'll you see what's coming up next.
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MessyMarvin
Member
Member # 2593
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posted
Wow. What a great film. Their animators deserve huge accolytes for that amazing animation throughout. Better than real life -- a great argument against MoCap.
What an incredibly fortuitous union it was for Pixar to join with Brad Bird. The man has raised the level of animation to that of the best feature film. His stories, characters, and direction possess complexity and nuances never ever seen in animation.
...This was Peter O'Toole's best role since Lawrence of Arabia. Small, but so stirring. Seriously.
Hope Bird has left some room on the mantel for another Oscar.
...Wow!
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Greg B
IE # 118
Member # 886
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posted
Well no end for accolades for this movie!
I can't wait to see it! I'm behind in going to the movies but I'll make sure I catch this one at the El Capitan!
What was the funniest scene in the movie?
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http://www.boonestoons.com
http://www.spacefool.com
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Im2dGuy
IE # 25
Member # 1160
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posted
I had really high expectations, being Pixar and being Brad Bird directed, and was still really blown away. I had watched every preview and yet I was still surprised and startled at major plot points. The animation is top notch amazing, so much of the story was told through the characters acting. I was really impressed by the color, the whole film has such a great feeling to it in terms of color. There is a really gruesome scene too, shocking in fact, if you think of it from a rats point of view, and the color and mood was perfect there too. I was also moved by the music. the same fellow who scored the Incredibles and has done work for Alias and Lost scored this film, and it is perfect, so natural and helped pushed the mood of the film at just the right moments... great film.
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www.animationbrad.com
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J3
IE # 121
Member # 2652
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posted
They turned the "genre" on its head - an animated movie made for adults that kids will appreciate too! Easily Pixar's best, and has to be in the top 5 of all time.
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James
Animated News & VIews
http://animated-news.com
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J3
IE # 121
Member # 2652
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posted
Not a big deal, but did anyone notice the film started with the old blue and white Disney production logo rather than the new one? Meet the Robinsons used the new one so this isn't just something they're doing for their animated films. Could it be a Pixar thing?
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James
Animated News & VIews
http://animated-news.com
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droosan
IE # 4
Member # 2225
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posted
Pixar has had their own special 'CG' version of the blue & white Disney 'castle' logo, ever since Toy Story .. I'm not sure why they're not using the 'new' CG castle logo, but I don't mind; I rather prefer the 'simplicity' of Pixar's version.
Did anyone else spot the 'cameo' of the Family Dog..? That's a fun 'easter egg'! I didn't see the Pizza Planet truck anywhere this time, though.
Ratatouille is a fantastic film. It reminds me very much of several of my favorite books I'd read as a child (many of which featured mice or rats trying to be 'human'), but still managed to feel fresh and excitingly unpredictable toward the end; in this way, I found myself somewhat sharing in the food critic's ultimate 'experience'.
Lifted was also quite fun. ![[abducted]](graemlins/abduct.gif)
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
Has anybody grabbed a copy of "The Art of Rataouille?" It's a great book, and a must have for any animation artist.
Once again, the film makers emphasize that everything starts with art, and this book sure gives you that insight. Any studio that plans to stay in business for a while had better have a kick butt development department.
I remember back in the nineties when Disney thought they no longer needed a development department -- and you know what happen to them.
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Floyd Bishop
IE # 183
Member # 2322
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posted
All of that Renderman fur and stuff on screen and I was most captivated by Michel's visual interpretation of flavor. Great stuff there Michel. I'm curious to know if you had the animation of the characters to use as a reference point when you animated your bit, or if you animated independent of what was on screen and they comped in your work?
Very well done!
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Floyd Bishop
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blue eyes
Member
Member # 259
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posted
Saw it today with the kids.
It reminds me of why we make animated films.
For the storytelling with the fantasy element to it.
People don't really communicate with rats and let them dictate how we should cook our food.
But in this story, we do.
It's not just copying real life.
It takes hold of the fantasy side of storytelling and takes you on a very charming character driven ride.
Beautiful thoughtful work.
Pixar crew, you make us proud to be in this industry.
- blue eyes
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EustaceScrubb
IE # 37
Member # 862
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posted
Droosan wrote:
quote:
Did anyone else spot the 'cameo' of the Family Dog..?
No! I totally missed the Family Dog's cameo . The Family Dog looks sort of like a rat , so he would certainly fit right in one of the crowd scenes of rats or was he out on the street in Paris ? I'll have to look closer next time I see Ratatouille. (I've seen it twice now and I think I'll go back to see it on the big screen at least two more times).
As you might guess from that last remark, I loved it . Thumbs up, 5 Stars, and all that jazz !
Thank you Pixar !
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spacelobster
IE # 278
Member # 3391
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posted
I thought it deserved all the hype. I'd put it next to Toy Story as Pixar's best (and I don't "looove" everything they do.) I liked how the "wacky sidekick" thing was turned around so he was the main character.
Did anyone notice any reference to "Ben and Me"?
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andim8
IE # 232
Member # 626
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posted
I really loved the look of the movie, both characters and backgrounds- very appealing.If I had one criticism , I think it could have been slightly shorter. but its certainly one of the best looking cg movies and the writing was less pun-centric than the usual fare like Shrek. It feels like a real movie and not like a very long sitcom episode. congratulations to Brad and his team.A winner!
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Michael W Howe
IE # 251
Member # 1827
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posted
I held off on saying anything for awhile, as I wanted to hear what others had to say.
This was the first time in 3 years that I hadn't seen a PIXAR film in the same audience as the Director of the film (in 2004, our theater had a sneak preview with Brad Bird attending, and last year, I covered the Cars premiere and got to say howdy to John Lasseter-well, as subtle as I could, given I was covering the event for JHM).
I actually saw Ratatouilled at the sneak preview a few weeks ago. Wanted to see it then to see how the audience was, and if all the talk would have turned people away from 'a rat movie.' But, the 7pm show was sold out, and I was surprised to see a pretty healthy supply of teens and young people going to see this. Not that many families, but it seemed to be date-night material.
The best part was, this was the most fun I've had with an audience since I saw a sneak preview of 'Hot Fuzz' back in early Spring. The audience here were rolling with laughter, we applauded at several great moments, and it all worked to a wonderful degree.
There were so many wonderful moments, and the best part was, that after awhile, I stopped analyzing and just got into the show, which is always good. Though I love when Remy is trying to find what to put into this one dish, and he waggles his finger as if to pantomime-'It needs...it needs...it needs some...'
I did get caught up in the lighting, which is always good, as you don't see that much moodlighting in animated features. Plus, we had people using sharp knives. Notably was impressed with Colette using those kitchen knives to get her point across to Linguini. I had a feeling somewhere in the the audience, some guys were going- 'Whoa.'
Right now, I am sad because the B.O. numbers have come in for the weekend, and already you know the 'bad-mouthers' are gonna be out in droves, with those 'Oh rats!'-style headlines about this weekend.
However, I will be an optimist (uncanny, as generally I am a pessimist), and still hope the film will have legs over the next few months.
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"He's got three Piston Cups!"
"He did WHAT in his cup!??"
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E. Allen
IE # 301
Member # 3297
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posted
First weekend performance for Ratatouille is not bad at all. And it will have legs, this I'm sure of.
People'll be back to see it. I know of some fans who checked out Surf's Up twice, and they were partially responsible for the film's present $55 million take. The same situation will occur for Ratatouille.
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old_blue
Member
Member # 3117
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posted
Well it made $47 million not $55 million according to box office mojo...
And Surfs Up only made like $2.5 million...so I doubt it contributed to lower box office numbers for Rat...
Not sure why it came in lower then predictions which thought it was going to make closer to $60 million like previous Pixar movies.
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Graphiteman
IE # 218
Member # 2092
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posted
quote:
Did anyone else spot the 'cameo' of the Family Dog..?
I didn't hear that. I was one of many attending a Making of Ratatoille talk here in Vancouver. The cameo question was asked and it was said a dog from an upcoming film was used (I assumed it was the shadow on the wall). The other cameo is the mime in a street scene is Bomb Voyage from The Incredibles.
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
I am so sick of this recent obsession with opening box office numbers. Yeah, I know it's important and all that, but some really crappy movies have had impressive openings. And, you know what? I really don't care.
"Ratatouille" may well be the finest film Pixar has produced in their rather short lifetime. I continue to be impressed, and I've been watching this film through its various stages of production.
I rarely say something like this -- but this movie is nothing less than a masterpiece.
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Jennifer Hachigian Jerrard
IE # 8
Member # 2280
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posted
I just saw Ratatouille at the AMC16 in Burbank. I loved what I saw...and so did the audience, judging by the roars of laughter throughout the film.
I think the biggest laugh came right after the vicious critic tasted the ratatouille. The audience delivered heavy applause at that moment. Wonderful stuff.
![[Yes]](graemlins/yes.gif)
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Charles
Administrator
Member # 7
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posted
Opening weekend numbers are a modern day gauge that helps determine how a film will do in general. The numbers that are ultimately remembered are the movie's overall box office performance. Opening weekend box office also makes a convenient time span to conduct polls here on the forums. It's better to have a survey that can have quick results than to have to wait 30 days after a film's opening to see what happens.
Looks like Ratatouille is a big hit with everyone.
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Animation Co-op
IE # 295
Member # 3421
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posted
quote:
I am so sick of this recent obsession with opening box office numbers.
Yep... but they don't call it show "business" for nuttin'. The studios are in this to make money.
Hollywood has always obsessed over B.O. The fact that this has pushed into opening weekends in particular is a consequence of the increasingly short theatrical "shelf life" that films enjoy these days.
It's also a consequence of our "Who won?" culture. "Survivor", "American Idol"... we always want to know who "won"... who "beat" who. Unfortunately, this is not solely the preoccupation of bean-counters and execs, but of many of our colleagues as well.
I know more than a few artists who were disappointed at a $60+ opening weekend... because it wasn't their "best" weekend. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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blue eyes
Member
Member # 259
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posted
quote:
" I think the biggest laugh came right after the vicious critic tasted the ratatouille."
Can't help but think of Steve Jobs when i first saw the character. Long, lanky and dressed in black with the glasses.
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merlinjones
IE # 240
Member # 1501
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posted
I've seen Ratatouille twice and it made me cry with delight - quite literally - that such a film can still be made.
It's a lovely study of passion and artistic spirit - a fable combining modern cinema sensibilities with pure visual storytelling and cartoon whimsy. Need I mention - - charm, sincerity and belief in the material, the characters and the situation? It's just what is needed in today's tiresome postmodern age.
And gorgeous to look at - - the use of scale and setting is amazing. The acting is wonderful. Everything clicks on an artistic level.
No loudmotuh, farting critters here -or celebrity wank fests.
This is one of the best animated features since Walt's Golden Age. Thank you, Brad! It revives the spirit and renews hope for the medium's future. And it's wonderfully entertaining. Just beautiful.
In the two screenings I've seen, audiences of all ages are hypnotized like they used to be by the Walt theatrical reissues. A very rewarding experience both times.
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rdelgado
Member
Member # 552
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posted
I really liked it. Saw it with the family yesterday and was impressed. As good as the picture was, I thought the animation in the end credits was unexpected, original and really cool. Boy, the city of Paris is depicted so wonderfully throughout the story,it made me want to go there, which is the whole point. I think this is a much better film than cars, and fits right in with Pixar's best stuff.My favorite part of the film is when the critic's tastebuds takes him back to his childhood. Great stuff!
Ricardo Delgado
PS- On second viewing, I must say that as technically well done and well-art directed as it was, I thought the trailer for Wall-e, especially the beginning of it, rang of...well, self-importance.
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OFFBEAT
IE # 39
Member # 873
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posted
Great..great movie!! ...5 stars!
Amazing!! Beautiful!!
Very inspiring.
Only flaw I found was the introduction of the main character's rollerskating abilities. Up untill the end he was a clumsy guy.. hard time walking.. then he puts on skates and he's a rollerskating champ. They showed him teaching the girl how to skate.. but not enough to justify it at the ending.
That's a tiny flaw.. and not worth mentioning..
Loved everything else about the movie. One of my all time faves.
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"Get Rich, or Die Drawing!"
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Mr. Fun
IE # 63
Member # 352
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posted
I agree that it's show Business with an emphasis on business. However, know this. The Walt Disney Company will be earning big, big bucks on this enterprise for years to come.
It's been my experience to hear executives moan and groan about how much money they're NOT making -- but you never hear all that much about the cash they DO make. They're not driving those BMW's and living in that Malibu beach house for nothing.
Just a little perspective. I care about good movies. The fact that a movie rakes in a gazillion dollars simply won't impact our lives all that much. Think they'll stop making movies? Hollywood grinds out "live-action dogs" all the time, and it hasn't stopped them.
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rdelgado
Member
Member # 552
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posted
Speaking of dogs, wasn't that underdog trailer one of the worst pieces of %$#^ ever seen?
Ricardo Delgado
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