I love movies, it’s one of my passions…

I have a serious home theatre set up and 600+ movies in my collection. Living ten miles from the nearest gas station and 16 miles from my favorite movie rental place it’s not surprising that I would accumulate quite a collection through the years.

So, it’s no surprise that I was introduced to Brad Bird, in a fantastic animated movie titled: “Iron Giant”, about eight years ago. It actually brought a tear to my eye! That’s quite an accomplishment for a “junk yard dog” from Detroit…(me). The movie had a message that got through to me: You can change, you are not “born” to be anything. You are not a slave to your upbringing or (in the case of the giant robot) your programming. Delivering a powerful message like this in a way that continues to resonate (in me) almost ten years since I first saw the movie is representative of real cinema art.

I guess the guys at Pixar felt the same way cause they snatched Brad Bird from Warner Bros, a few years ago and he went on to deliver another powerful animated movie with a message…”The Incredibles”.

It was when I watched the “making of” segment that I realized this was the same guy who directed “Iron Giant”. No wonder I was so blown away, Yet Again! A powerful message presented in a manner which raised the bar for all animation.

Last week I happened to watch the best animated movie I have ever seen, period. “Ratatouille”, again directed by Brad Bird, for Pixar.

Hey, I think “300″ is a masterpiece, to give you a sense of my taste…It’s just that “Ratatouille” is on a much higher level of story telling, character development, the highest level of digital animation to date and a visual experience which is absolutely stunning.

I would give the three Brad Bird animated films to any child (or adult) as a powerful teaching and entertainment tool. I would not give “300″ to a child or just any adult. In “Ratatouille”, Bird carries forward two powerful messages from “The Incredibles” …”If everyone is special, then no one is special” and “you have to be who you really are”. He builds upon these with “anyone can cook …not everyone can be a chef” (everyone has potential, not everyone is going to develop their potential) …And, you never know where the next genius will come from …So keep an open mind!

Living in a world where mediocrity is routinely promoted as “special”, it is refreshing to see something that really is special and deserving of recognition. If “Ratatouille” doesn’t garner an Oscar or two then we know the Hollywood community is afraid of acknowledging the startling truth any new benchmark brings to an industry …The fear that something outstanding will always make the mediocre more obvious.

-Bob Baran