Ratatouille (2007)

Remy is a rat with an unusual talent: he can tell, by smell, which flavors will work beautifully together and which should remain apart. Remy's family doesn't appreciate this refinement because they're, you know, rats. So, Remy kind of catches a "live your dreams!" break when he becomes accidentally separated from his clan, winds up in Paris, and joins forces with a gangly kitchen boy credited with preparing a soup that was actually Remy's work.

But then things just get bland and predictable. There's a villain, a love interest, grand success, out-of-control pride, betrayal, failure, and reunion -- and I could see it all coming several beats before it hit the screen. I also didn't think Patton Oswald worked as the voice of Remy. He already looked like a rat...did he have to sound like one too?

I do want to mention that this movie would be a "C+" if it weren't for a stunning scene near the end when a feared restaurant critic first tastes the dish made for him. It was so marvelous that tears came to my eyes immediately --I was surprised and truly embarrassed that it made me so emotional.

B-