I loved both movies but for totally different reasons, even though they are both animated and kids' movies. Ratatouille has taken animation to a new level. One that all future animated movies will have to live up to. It was hands down the best ever. Unbelievable. The ways in which the characters facial expressions,
body movements, their breathing, EVERYTHING was done, is as close to live action will ever get. But I was disappointed in the story itself. It wasn't like HAPPY FEET where it really couldn't decide what kind of movie it wanted to be. (I realy liked it in spite of itself.) It was the actual story. I wanted it to end differently. I just think they could have taken it in a "better" direction than they did. It was like the writers got lazy. I must confess that I had put Ratatouille on a pretty high pedestal just from the trailers and maybe that's why it didn't live up to my expectations. But I wouldn't have known that had I not gone to SURF'S UP just a few days later. SURF'S UP was so funny that I literally was gasping for breath and covering my mouth so my laughing wouldn't annoy the other movie goers. And I realized that's what was missing from Ratatouille, the humor. Oh, it was funny and fun but totally NOT hilaroius, which SURF'S UP was, non-stop. Yes, some of it was geared toward the adults in the theater, but great animated movies always have humor that all ages can enjoy. And lest I forget to mention its animation. The water scenes are truly the most amazing I've ever seen. It didn't have the facial superiority of RATATOUILLE, but the water scenes made up for it. I think SURF'S UP had a better variety of characters, too. That might be a tad bit unfair since there were so many different kinds of animals. I will buy both movies and watch both again and again. But I will enjoy them for totally different reasons.
July 9, 2007
