So, I couldn’t help but think what a
beautiful follow up this movie is to The Incredibles based on the morals of the stories.
Of course as we
know in The Incredibles the moral is that some people are special and should be celebrated but mediocrity
shouldn’t. We of course see this in three key pieces of dialogue.
Dash: But Dad says our powers are
nothing to be ashamed of, that our powers make us special.
Helen: Everyone’s special Dash.
Dash: Which is
just another way of saying no one is.
Bob: They keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity but
when someone is truly exceptional…
Syndrome: And when everyone’s super - no one will be.
In
Ratatouille though we have an excellent follow up. [spoil]The whole time we’re led to believe the
moral is Anyone can cook (aka “be special”) but in the end the real moral is delivered in a classic
line in a masterful piece of writing by Brad Bird and execution by Peter O’Toole that frankly should earn them
both Academy Awards IMO. In his final review Anton Ego (who’s been “Anyone Can Cook’s” biggest…
well… critic all along) explains to us that "I finally understand what Auguste Gusteau meant when he said
‘Anyone Can Cook.’ It doesn’t mean that anyone can cook but rather that a cook
can come in any form…" Or not that anyone can be special, but rather special
talents can arise in anyone no matter who they are, what they look like, or anything else - something we see in
both movies. Kind of brings the whole thing full circle. The Incredibles tells us to believe in our own
“special” abilities and don’t celebrate mediocrity while Ratatouille tells us to remember that that
special tallent can be hidden in anyone. Both movies say that not everyone has a tallent (not even the child of
a “talented” person… Jack-Jack and Linguini) but special abilities can be endowed on anyone
(Jack-Jack again and Remy). A classic, beautiful, full-circle fold that in some ways makes Ratatouill the
perfect follow up - the perfect sequel to The Incredibles.[/spoil]