Why Ratatouille is a bad movie

Pixar and Disney are having a hard enough time promoting their latest animated creation, Ratatouille (coming June 29). First hurdle: edumacating the American public on how to pronounce that unfortunate title. (As the film’s logo says, it’s, “rat•a•too•ee.”) Second: Not everyone, especially New Yorkers, will find the concept of rats in a restaurant so cute. But an interesting story in today’s New York Times suggests a third, more unexpected challenge: selling a film that comes from original material.

I know, it sounds ridiculous. A good movie should sell itself — especially one from Pixar, which has never gone wrong — right? And this flick certainly looks like fun: I enjoyed the clip of it that played at ShoWest last month. But a look at the statistics offers a gloomier story, writes The Times: “In the last five years, only about 20 percent of the films with more than $200 million in domestic ticket sales were purely original in concept, rather than a sequel or an adaptation of some pre-existing material like The Da Vinci Code.”

Yipes! Are we movie fans really so unimaginative that we’re unwilling try something new? Or is it the studios that don’t trust us, going only for the sure-thing franchise film? I suppose one could argue that Pixar movies are franchise films of a sort, but are you really less likely to go to something like Ratatouille versus, say, the latest Pirates or Harry Potter or Shrek installment, simply because you don’t know the story going in? I mean, I always thought we preferred to be surprised and wowed by something new. But, sheesh, maybe I’m wrong. Does this whole thing trouble you as much as it bothers me?

Why Ratatouille is a bad movie

That`s it. I didn`t like Ratatouille at all even the first time I watched it when I was 7. Graphics and setting are great but the plot is bad, feels like the movie is meaningless. Also I hate that Pixar was too lazy so they just gave Remy ability to control Alfredo with his hair and didn`t explain it

Why Ratatouille is a bad movie

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So you're fine with a rat that has the skill of a master chef, but when it comes to said rat controlling a man by his hair you're like, "well this shit doesn't track"

level 2

Have you ever met a rat that wasn't a master chef?

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It's called Ratatoullie, not Rat-hair-mind-controullie. One is the obvious fantastical leap that makes sense in a fictional movie, the other is just weird and doesn't make any sense. Rats also have a great sense of smell, it actually does make sense they would have natural culinary skills...

level 2

Thats a falacy if i had seen one before. Funny rat that knows how to cook doesn't excuse how its able to control Linguini

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Upvoting on the second point because I personally love how many deliberately unanswered questions Pixar raises about the logistics of the worlds it creates.

  • What is it about Alfredo that he can be puppeted around by the hair? Is he just a bottom?

  • Where did the cars from Cars come from, and how closely does Car history align with human history (e.g. was there a car 9/11?)

  • Are sex toys sentient in the Toy Story universe? What about toys deliberately designed with more collector value than play value (like Funko Pops)?

Questions like these aren't enough to break my suspension of disbelief, but they do make the movies more fun to watch (especially with friends) and provide a lot of entertaining talking points.

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Is he just a bottom?

Look at that man and the woman he ends up with and tell me with a straight face that he's not

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I'm surprised that people don't bring this up when talking about Cars, but in the courtroom scene you can see a painting on the wall that depicts cars (what looks like Model Ts) driving out of a large factory, which has an almost biblical look to it, like animals coming out of Noah's Ark. There's a scene where Mack exclaims "Thank the manufacturer", and I believe another (although I might be misremembering) where a car says "holy Chrysler." It is likely cars are, or were at some point "manufactured" in factories by some outside entity, but its unclear whether that is still the case or where new cars come from.

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If Barbies are sentient then I don’t see why Funkos wouldn’t be. I imagine they’d move like the tenants in Wreck-it-Ralph

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I’m not sure I want to know about sex toys in the toy story universe (although a parody movie might be fun and covered by parody law) but Buzz helping collector toys find their fun side could be really interesting

level 1

Weird hearing people call him Alfredo, he's always referred to as Linguini in the movie itself

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How are you so sure a rat couldn't control you by pulling your hair? Has one ever tried?

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Because I'm bald. Maybe the rat can go full Dance Dance Revolution on my head to control my movements?

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Disliking a movie doesn't make it a bad movie. It just means it isn't for you. That's not what a bad movie is.

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Also I hate that Pixar was too lazy so they just gave Remy ability to control Alfredo with his hair and didn`t explain it

What's there to explain? They showed early on that Linguini responds to having his hair pulled by lifting his arms, and then they had a whole "training montage" where they improved on that. Anyone else could have pulled his hair too and controlled him, it was just that a rat figured it out first.

What is the problem in Ratatouille?

The main conflict is that Remy's becoming a cook at the restaurant, and the garbage boy Linguini is the catalyst for that conflict. Remy makes a deal with Linguini—whom everyone believes is responsible for the wonderful new soup: Remy will tell him how to recreate it, in exchange for Linguini's protection.

Is Ratatouille a good film?

Its stunning animation of the Parisian skyline and comedic relief from the main character, Linguine, provide the film with a sort of indescribable witty charm. The production of the film adds to why “Ratatouille” is the best Pixar movie ever.

Is Ratatouille a flop?

On the critical front, the film was a huge hit and everyone just fell in love with cute four-legged Remy. Post favourable reviews, Ratatouille's $624 million box office success (as per Box Office Mojo) didn't come as a surprise.

Does Ratatouille say bad words?

Phrases: "Clean-arino," "Now shut up and eat your garbage," "Aww, man," "You're a clever rat," "Are you mad?" "Garbage boy," "I should have you drawn and quartered," "For Pete's sake," "Idiot," "Welcome to Hell," "I'm insane, I'm insane, I'm insane," "Let us toast your non-idiocy," "Rejecta-menta" (or something like ...