Review: Harry Potter OOTP/Ratatouille

Well, I think both movies were quite good. First off, Harry Potter...


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 4 out of 5 stars

This movie was very dark, but then again, so was the book. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone familiar with the direction the series is taking. Each of the seven editions grows increasingly dark as the children age. There are some great characters that are seen here for the first time, such as Dolores Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks, and Bellatrix Lestrange. All of these new comers add something to the Harry Potter universe. It has been a while since I read the book, but it felt rather true based on my memory. There are some rather funny scenes, but overall the mood is consistently dark. This story focuses HEAVILY on death and is getting to the point where younger children simply aren't ready for the material. Roger Ebert's review specifically dinged the movie for lacking the wonder of the previous outings, but that simply isn't there by this point in the story. We're in a whole new world at this point and I'm not sure if the criticism is fair. I believe it is a good choice for any fan of the series, but newcomers would definitely need to see/read the previous books. All in all, a great movie experience.



Ratatouille - 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Ah, on to the rats ;) I wasn't sure about how good this film would be, but I wasn't sure about Cars either and I can definitely say I am impressed. You know, you wonder if rats can be cute and interesting, but this is a great movie. It IS cute, well written, funny, and the animation ... I can only say that my jaw dropped. The fur, the detail in the fur and all of the little touches just make this an amazing visual spectacle. I couldn't decide what to pay attention to the amazing visuals or the great story. This one is up there with the Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., and Toy Story. Patton Oswalt is great as the lead character and rat, Remy. He makes the movie and adds so much to the characters obsessive, creative nature. There are also lots of positive messages for the kids. There is a bit too much in the way of references to "killing" as that is what people typically due to rats, but I think it is only too much for the real young end of the spectrum. Well worth checking out by pretty much all ages.