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In the hilarious new animated-adventure, Ratatouille, a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a hilarious and exciting chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef.

Be warned - if you take your kids to see this movie, they're bound to start pestering you for their very own pet rat for weeks on end. It's amazing how Pixar manage to make any creature charming and loveable, despite our preconceptions - and that goes for the film too.

In my opinion this is a true return to form by Pixar and a marked improvement on the slightly disappointing Cars. It goes without saying that the animation and vocals are top class as ever. Add to this the witty writing and uplifting story and you really do have a movie that's sure to deliver that feel good factor.

A film about a rat who wants to be a chef? Who would want to see that? The answer would be anyone who appreciates a good story combined with artistry and technical brilliance.

The story concerns Remy a young rat who finds himself at odds with his family and friends due to his culinary taste being somewhat more sophisticated than theirs, more than most humans' for that matter. When he is forced to flee his country home Remy arrives in a Parisian restaurant. Here he forms an unlikely alliance with Linguine a would- be chef who has ambition but no talent. Together they start to cause quite a sensation. They begin to turn the fortunes of the restaurant, which has been failing since its original owner has died. Can they impress legendary food critic Anton Ego and stay out of the clutches of suspicious head chef Skinner? And will Linguine find romance with the beautiful but spiky Colette?

Pixar and Disney have once again come up trumps with a wonderfully warm and witty film. It is simply wonderful to look at. Every frame is a work of art as well as a technical triumph. The characters, both rodent and human are highly stylised yet somehow fully believable, recalling director Brad Bird's earlier film for Pixar The Incredibles . The environments are rich and amazingly detailed the food looks good enough to eat. Still all of that would be for nothing if the story was no good. Lucky then, that it is just the opposite. Ratatouille is witty, warm and uplifting. It has a lot to say about the creative process and in many ways its tale of a chef's longing of acceptance and approval of his work can be seen as a metaphor the same needs of the film-maker.

That's not to say that the film isn't funny. It's consistently amusing and often hilarious. The voice cast is perfect. They're clearly cast for their talent and suitability for the roles rather than to get a big name on the posters. This also allows the animators to come to the fore investing the characters and story with real depth. The little touches are just as impressive as the big set pieces. It's easy to forget when watching a computer animation that the film is created by artists and not by the machines themselves. There is a disclaimer in the old-school credits sequence to remind us though.

This is the best animated movie of the last couple of years and the best family film of this one.

As good a film as Pixar has ever put out, Ratatouille is a frantic, innovative movie, boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen.

Ratatouille tells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legendary cook Gusteau, that anyone can cook. The deceased Gusteau?s ghostly image appears to Remy, and guides him to his restaurant, whose standards have been slipping since his death. Remy, through the manipulation of a lowly restaurant worker called Linguini, soon starts secretly cooking the food, and this unusual set up proves to be a trove of treasures that Pixar carefully picks through.

Ratatouille?s trick is to tie its cutting edge animation techniques to old-school essentials. At times harking back to the frenetic style you?d expect of Chuck Jones, it threads an original narrative through its story, which itself is packed with memorable characters (none more so than Peter O?Toole?s superbly-voiced restaurant critic). It perhaps runs a little too long, but it?s so well-written and so lavishly entertaining that it?s a churlish complaint to have.

For in an era of cynically-produced family movies, Ratatouille is really something special. With an appeal that spreads across generations, and a quality that puts it right up there with Pixar?s finest, it?s an outstanding piece of cinema, and one set to be enjoyed for many, many years. Unmissable. --Simon Brew

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