Buy it... if you're prepared to be absolutely drenched in a syrupy French style that at the very least confirms Michael Giacchino's talents in the animated film score genre.

Avoid it... if a wild blend of high-class parody of French waltzes, a slick sense of jazz and salsa, and a fiendishly incessant accordion sends you in a defiant search for 'freedom fries.'

Giacchino

Ratatouille: (Michael Giacchino) Even the most ardent detractors of the animated genre of film must admit that Pixar has been on a remarkable run of quality offerings since its creation a dozen years ago. Their careful production choices have almost always yielded critical and popular success stories on the big screen, and while the process of finalizing the script for Ratatouille may have provided more excitement for the crews than they would have liked, the finished product has once again been an immense crowd pleaser. With the kind of comedy and action to surely entertain the kids, Ratatouille offers some larger conceptual parallels to challenge adults, straddling the line between audiences very effectively. Only viewers with rat phobias need fret, for this film lovingly crosses the worlds of vermanity and humanity and follows the nose of one cute rat who becomes Paris' best gourmet chef. Hiding under the hat of the janitor-turned-cook who's the front for the duo, the charade is bound to have its moments of turmoil and triumph, and Ratatouille manages to overcome its lengthy running time with a truly engaging story. Writer and director Brad Bird would turn once again to his collaborator from The Incredibles for the score; Michael Giacchino's music for the 2004 smash hit was considered by many film music critics to be among the best of the year, perfectly emulating the high style of the early James Bond scores by John Barry and giving the sound a healthy dose of extra meat. For Ratatouille, the result is as predictable as you could possibly make it, with Giacchino writing a score that is both a constant parody of French stylings and strongly reminiscent of the Carl Stallings book of animated action technique. Perhaps the most important element in Giacchino's score, however, is its immense heart, though its upbeat nature is sure to drive some listeners mad. It's a score that was obviously fun to write and record, and that enthusiasm carries over to the listeners. The key to the infectiously positive attitude of Ratatouille is easily Giacchino's wide variety of creative instrumentation.

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An orchestra with sizeable string and brass sections is joined by a collection of soloists that perform a delightfully witty combination of specialty instruments throughout the score, all of which mixed with expert precision. The French stylings touch upon the arrogance often associated with the culture, but Giacchino overwhelms them with a sense of jazz accessible to most ears. The lines between loungey jazz and high class waltz rhythms are blurred significantly in Ratatouille, bordering on salsa in its most spirited parts. Whereas Pink Panther music seems so outdated in its most recent incarnation, Giacchino conveys the same ideas with a sense of coolness that only perhaps the larger ensemble can achieve. The all-out parody performances in the film open with a bang in "Welcome to Gusteau's" and continue through "Dinner Rush," with snippets of traditional pieces and their inspiration spread throughout. Giacchino's title theme is a bit lost in all the action, though a lengthy suite for the "End Creditouilles" and a romantic piano and high string performance at the end of the album (suitable for any romantic restaurant) serve as redirection at the end. Fans of Giacchino's playful action in The Incredibles will delight in carry-over performances of that brass over electric bass sound in "The Paper Chase." But for many listeners, the most memorable cues will be a trio in the middle of the score. Between "Remy Drives a Linguini" and "Special Order," Giacchino lets rip with the specialty instruments. His wild rhythms are built with a jazz band foundation and are led by accordion, sax, muted trumpet, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, and musette, among others. A surfing atmosphere in "Remy Drives a Linguini" is hilariously aided by whistling, harmonica, and sliding guitar. At some point during these salsa-flavored cues, some listeners may bleed from the ears, and these will likely be the folks --and there are many of them-- who simply can't stand accordions to begin with, much less their sonic relatives. The song "Le Festin" gives a Giacchino theme the 8 Femmes treatment and will be sure to annoy some listeners. But overall, Giacchino's music for Ratatouille is everything you expect and want it to be, and even if you can't really digest its overwhelming sense of style, the score accomplishes what it needs to do. Giacchino has officially established himself as a master of the animated score. ****   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

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For Michael Giacchino reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.37 (in 21 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.23 (in 12,367 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.