Why We Won't See Ratatouille

Pixar has been a steady hit maker when it comes to cranking out that summer animated feature everyone anticipates. We loved both Toy Story movies. Nemo made people care about fish again. Even though I didn't like the script in Cars, it was still fun to watch. Monsters, Inc was endearing. The Incredibles is my fav of the studio, and Bug's Life is too cute. You would think anything Pixar puts out will instantly turn to box office gold.

So why will Ratatouille fail? Because we don't care about the characters, that's why.

We haven't cared about rats since NIMH or Ben. As my ever-insightful wife points out, "who wants to see a rat make food? None of these ads look like adults or children will care." And she's right.

Pixar wasn't the first to make an animated feature, but they revived the genre during the past 10 years or so. The original Disney movies weren't attracting audiences anymore because they weren't clever and were recycling old patterns- human finds himself, connects with member of opposite sex, cute animals surround them. Pixar managed to change it up and appeal to the computer-generated people with hip scripts and life lessons that weren't so obvious to the appealing 7 year-old.

Soon after, different studios started cranking out animated features in the same pattern. Some were successful, but usually one just copied the other. Last year I think I must have seen 4 movies devoted to animals escaping a zoo or the woods or something like that, and one was funny (Over the Hedge). We were almost begging for Pixar to make us another unique hit like they have in the past.

Ratatouille may be an exception because of the plot. The premise seems to be centered on a bumbling apprentice chef who manages to mess up anything and everything. Then there's this rat makes who knows how to cook. He makes a master dish and the new chef gets credit. The two hook up like Cyrano. Hilarity ensues.