Hungry for reviews by people who’ve seen the Ratatouille sneak previews? Ain’t It Cool News has got you covered.
This is a slightly different kind of film for Pixar. In fact, it’s unlike any American animated film we’ve seen in quite a few years. With its relatively relaxed tone (for a cartoon) and lack of wacky, wise-crackin’ sidekicks, this one is miles away from the hellzapoppin’ hijinks of the SHREK films and their various rip-offs. This is not to say it’s not funny. There’s a set piece involving a character being used as a sleepwalking marionette that will remind some of the classic Goofy films, and there’s a moment where one character’s *very* last-second decision not to pepper-spray another got the biggest laugh I’ve heard in ages.
Director Brad Bird’s visual inspiration seems to be vintage Disney fare like LADY AND THE TRAMP. They’ve set a new standard for using computer animation to achieve a marvelously warm, hand-made quality, and I thought more than once during the film that I wish they gave Cinematography Oscars to cartoons. It gives us a Paris that’s modern, yet dreamlike.
Broke Hoedown 
Brad Bird and Pixar are a great match. While Disney otherwise cranks out pablum like Cinderella III, Pixar continues to do this era’s classics.