nothing in this flick goes more than an inch past the surface, but it's undeniably enjoyable.

there's about 2-3 minutes of conflict in the movie, the rest of the running time is a pretty by-the-numbers underdog story.

i wish they had taken a different angle and gone more in-depth into the life of a chef. or, if not that, gone full-bore into the realm of food porn (the food shown was decent, but nothing approaching Big Night or Ratatouille), but for what it sets out to be, it's fairly successful.

major props to Leguizamo and Vergara, both of whom managed to dial back the manic energy and turn in really enjoyable, human performances. great cameo by RDJ too.