So, last night I ventured out to one of the local Super Duper Mega Multiplexes to see the new Pixar film, Ratatouille. First off, let me say that it was an adventure. Somehow my wife and her twin sister ended up with one easy-to-care-for infant, a fistful of dollars, and a sprawling complex of swanky places to shop laid out before them like the land of milk and honey. Meanwhile my brother-in-law and I ended up with four kids under eight, a movie about a rat, and several bathroom trips complicated by the fact that two of our charges were girls. I’m not saying we’re not capable, but it does present unique challenges.

Anyway, back to what I was really here to talk about. First off, Ratatouille is quite possibly the finest animated movie I have ever seen. Granted, that’s my opinion, but then again, this is my blog. Let me also tell you that as the father of an eight year old boy and a five year old girl, I have an extremely large sample size to draw from to support my conclusion. Ratatouille is that good.

The more I thought about why I liked it so much, the more I realized what I look for in a film. Yes, I’m saying that this sensitive little story about a rat in Paris made me think about what makes me tick. Before anyone tells me - yes, I know I’m hopeless. So, I guess I realized that I’m not your average male movie-goer. I’m not impressed by gratuitous sex or violence, and I don’t need seventeen explosions or eye-popping special effects to get me to the theater. Ratatouille does have some eye candy, and there are certain films I enjoy that have the aforementioned “guy things”, but I like a good story. Ratatouille is a great story. It made me think about how it was constructed, how it unfolded and how it pulled everything together. It felt more like a novel to me. That’s a good thing in my estimation.

There are lots of movies that I watch the same way - films like The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, American History X, Requiem for a Dream, Glory and Amelie, to name but a few. Give me any of these over the latest edge-of-your-seat-blow-em-up action movie. I’ll take the great story.

So, if you must pull yourself away from a good book, go see Ratatouille. I think you’ll enjoy it.