We can't live in Brad Bird's world, but we should be thankful that we can play in it for a couple of hours.  Following up his successful Pixar debut, "The Incredibles," Bird offers up a movie equally as entertaining and original with "Ratatouille," a story about an extraordinary rat who strives to be a master chef.  While the concept sounds far fetched, suffice it to say that "Ratataouille" has the perfect formula to entertain any age group.

Brad Bird first caught my attention with the under rated, "Iron Giant," an expertly created film with old fashioned animation and wonderful values.  He then took another step forward into the mainstream by teaming up with Pixar to deliver "The Incredibles," a smash success that combined adventure, comedy and positive family entertainment into one package, a recognizable staple of the Pixar company.  The financial success of the this allowed him to take another creative leap, this time with "Ratatouille," a film that is as creative as  you'll see in theaters this year.

"Ratatouille" follows the adventures of Remy the Rat, a likable character who tries to reach his destiny of becoming a master chef in the human world.  Along the way, he naturally faces a variety of pitfalls and challenges that comes in such odd territory, but he eventually he finds his way to the kitchen of his dreams at Gusteau's, the former home to the famous chef that Remy had idolized. Here he meets the clumsy but warm-hearted Linguini, who is trying to find his own way in the world but is relegated to janitorial duties in the restaurant.  When a fateful accident allows Remy to season a soup mix that appears to have come from Linguini, the two embrace the unique friendship that soon follows after the soup receives rave reviews from the customers.  This starts a a grand adventure with the unlikely duo as they each rely one another to find success.

Synopsis aside, there is quite more to this film than the general plot summary.  Remy has family problems, Linguini has his own personal doubts and there are those who seek to capture monetary gains from the restaurant that Gusteau left behind.  All of this makes for a rich plot tapestry that glues the film together.  The solid plot construction allows for the humor of the film to thrive and this is where Bird is at his best.  He combines story elements that we can all relate to (in one way or another) with humorous scenarios that catapults"Rataouille" to great heights.

"Ratatouille" also never forgets that it is a fantasy film.  For instance, there is a scene where Remy sees an aerial view of Paris for the first time and it's a moment he's waited for his whole life.  The viewer gets to share the enchantment with him in this scene, as Michael Giacchino's well timed score plays Remy's theme in the background during this moment of wonder.  It's a moment like this that marks the beauty of this story as you can feel the world opening up for our friendly main character and it's a sweet emotion to share.

In a summer that has started off in an underwhelming fashion, "Ratatouille" offers a positive option for filmgoers.  It's a film that not only has a great story but also genuine entertainment value that should be appreciated by all.  All this plus strong performances, colorful music, amazingly rendered animation and a running time that's appropriate for the story.  It's a terrific combination for a movie that I give a strong recommendation for.