Ratatouille (2007)

There are a lot of Disney films that I have not seen as you may have already seen from past selections or you will see from future selections. So, I decided to get on the Disney Plus app today and the film I chose for today is none other than 2007's Ratatouille which was written and directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) and Jan Pinkava (A Bug's Life). The film stars Patton Oswalt (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) as Remy, a rat in France that has never felt like he fit in with the rest of species because he felt different. Remy was interest in the finer things in life like cooking and after getting separated from the pack, he finds himself in Paris where he'll help a bumbling idiot become the hit chef in Paris, but how long can they keep this secret going? The film also stars Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) as Skinner, Lou Romano (The Incredibles) as Linguini,  Brian Dennehy (Tommy Boy) as Django, Peter Sohn (Monsters University) as Emile, Peter O'Toole (Lawrence Of Arabia) as Anton Ego, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Gusteau, Janeane Garofalo (Mystery Men) as Colette, Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie) as Horst, James Remar (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as Larousse, and John Ratzenberger (Onward) as Mustafa.

So before I get into any of the review, did you know that Ratatouille was an actual French dish because I sure as hell did not know that. I just thought it was something created for the film that was a fun pun on the fact that a rat was a cook. The things you find out on the world wide web and believe me I will attempt to make that some day. Nonetheless, we have a film to review and I thought that this was actually a very fun film that kind of didn't follow the normal recipe that Disney always follows because the animal sidekick was the main character and driving force. The human in the film could have been the dumb sidekick for all we know and it would make more sense. I had a lot of laughs watching this film especially with the main villain being Skinner who was going out of his mind trying to convince everyone about the rat. Those were some amazing scenes and very funny, but the story was a great one that teaches a lot of lessons. Never judge a book by it's cover is the message in this film because you shouldn't treat people as if they were lower than you. I mean I wouldn't actually take a rat and let it help you cook, but really I am talking about human to human. Cooking is a passion that should be explored by everyone even if you do not become some big time chef in a restaurant. The voice acting was great, the animation was terrific, and overall this was a very enjoyable film to watch. Which is why I am giving it an B+ for a final grade.

Onward (2020)

Due to Covid-19, there were a lot of films that I didn't have the chance of seeing because of the shutdown of non essential businesses which included movie theaters. Then there was news that a bunch of films were going to be released online and sure enough when I opened Disney Plus, one film I wanted to see was on there and that was Onward which was written and directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University). The film takes place in a land where at one time magic had ruled the Earth, but then someone decided to make things easier and they got lazier. For Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), he never got the chance to meet his father because he had passed away when Ian was just a baby. On his 16TH birthday, his mother unveils a present that will allow their dad to comeback for 24HRS, but when they try to cast the spell, the stone breaks forcing the Lightfoot brothers to go on a quest before time runs out. The film also stars Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Barely Lightfoot, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) as Laurel Lightfoot, Octavia Spencer (Ma) as The Manticore, Mel Rodriguez (The Watch) as Colt Bronco, Grey Griffin (Unikitty!) as Dewdrop, Ali Wong (Birds Of Prey) as Officer Gore, Tracey Ullman (Panic) as Grecklin, John Ratzenberger (Toy Story 4) as Construction Worker, and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story) as Wilden Lightfoot.

I thought that this was actually an excellent movie and further proves my point that Disney does not make bad films or I should say Disney Pixar does not make bad films. Every single film that I have actually seen from Disney Pixar has been very good and I would say B+ or better if you meant in terms of grades. This film has an incredible cast with Chris Pratt lending his amazing vocal talents to the project alongside his MCU compatriot Tom Holland. Not to mention, Octavia Spencer does an amazing job as The Manticore, a lion scorpion creature and what an appearance by Tracey Ullman who plays a pawn shop owner and it was amazing. Let us not forget that the film actually has an incredible story that takes us on a wild adventure from beginning to end which includes the emotional rollercoaster as well. I love the fact that they throw in a huge dilemma towards the end of the film because finding the could have been that easy especially after what they had been through, but there are some more obstacles to go through for Ian. The film was sort of a coming of age story for Ian who isn't confident enough to do anything on his own and he doesn't realize what he has had in front of him the whole time, but he grows up by the end. That is all that matters when you have a coming of age story for a young wizard elf. I loved the animation in the film, I loved how they portrayed some of the ancient magical creatures like Fairies, Unicorns, and even a dragon as a pet. This was a super fun film that I would definitely watch again. That is why I am giving the film an A- for a final grade.

Toy Story 4 (2019)

We are taking a break this weekend from Sunday at the Classics to check out a film because tonight is the 92ND annual Academy Awards ceremony. Tonight, they'll be handing out Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and so many more. One of the categories that I have always had great luck with is the Best Animated Feature award that I have successfully predicted for the last five years and for today's film I had to check out the film that I am picking for that award in Toy Story 4. The film once again stars Tom Hanks (Philadelphia) as Woody, Tim Allen (Home Improvement) as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack (Working Girl) as Jesse, Kristen Schaal (Toy Story 3) as Trixie, Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) as Rex, John Ratzenberger (Cheers) as Hamm, Blake Clark (Waterboy) as Slinky, and Bonnie Hunt (Rain Man) as Dolly. This time around, the gang is trying to get used to Bonnie's routines, but Woody is having a hard time adjusting. One day, he helps her create a new friend in Forky (Tony Hale), but Forky gets lost at an Antique store and it's up to Woody and an old friend to bring him back before it's too late. The film also stars Annie Potts (Ghostbusters) as Bo Peep, Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu) as Ducky, Keanu Reeves (John Wick) as Duke Caboom, Jordan Peele (Keanu) as Bunny, Christina Hendricks (The Neon Demon) as Gabby Gabby, Ally Maki (Cloak & Dagger) as Giggles McDimples, and the film was directed by Josh Cooley (Inside Out).

So, compared to the previous entry in the franchise which I thought was dark towards the end of the film, this was a much lighter film. The film touches on the idea of being an outcast, an undesirable that feels left out in the cold and it tries to teach you that it's OK to feel that way, but nothing is permanent. They try to teach you in the film that you have to accept yourself for who you are and that sometimes you have to take a chance and think outside the four walls of your room or the proverbial box. The film teaches you that sometimes you just need to accept reality and when you can do that you will be OK because you'll value your true closest friends. Disney films have always been very deep as far as the underlying messages that you don't get as a child until you watch it again as an adult. I think they hope that your brain will just subliminally understand what is happening and you'll be a better citizen for it. I have always been a fan of the franchise and I was very much looking forward to this film, but how does it rank with the rest of them? I thought the story was well done, but the film was more centered on Woody this time around then it was about any other character. I definitely believe with all my heart that this was the franchise's swan song and they did it with dignity. I loved seeing all the different new toys and how they included some from Canada with theirs which was great because I loved having Keanu Reeves there. I don't know what else there is to say because Disney Pixar do not make bad movies. So, I am going to go ahead and give this one an A- for a final grade.