Bravo to Nintendo for Cooking Mama. My sons can now make virtual pizza.
Although I couldn’t work out why CM wanted to serve it with rice.
I’m all for anyone grasping the Big Cook Little Cook baton and running with it.
The more kids know about cuisine which doesn’t come in a little paper bag with a rubbish toy the better.
So my hopes were high when we went to see Ratatouille – the latest from Disney Pixar.
Armed with vast armfuls of popcorn (£3.50 for a small bag which was still big enough for Son Two to use as a sleeping bag) off we headed.
The kitchen stuff was great – very Gordon Ramsay with lots of funny detail. And I just couldn’t place who Ego the critic reminded me of.
But, in the end, the heavy handed addition of too many messages left a bad taste:
kitchens are sexist
microwave food is bad
family is good
washing your hands is good
the good guy will get the girl
loyalty is good
slapstick is funny
any one can cook, even girls.
I suppose some might call it comforting, but Son Two and I agreed – there weren’t enough laughs or car chases to keep us entertained for nearly two hours.
Son One? Still chortling about the baddie falling in the seine and swearing that the kissing was “gross”.
I guess it’s all a question of taste.