Remy has an unusually delicate pallet, especially since he is a rat. His family put him to work helping them work out what is poisoned and what isn't poisoned but that really doesn't satisfy him. One day, after accidentally waking up the owner of the house they live in they are forced to leave under heavy fire.

He gets separated from his family and ends up somewhere under the great city of Paris. Coincidentally, as a figment of his imagination would tell him, under the restaurant of the late great chef Gusteau.

When the hapless new 'garbage boy' ruins the soup - Remy can't help but do all he can to make it great again. Linguini, the garbage boy, having seen him do it gets the credit and enlists his help to become a great chef. But how long can he keep Remy under his hat?

Like other Disney Pixar greats (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2) this one has a main character you can really get behind. It doesn't matter that he - and most of the main characters - are rats because he is so loveable. The human characters, who I'm sure are purposely cartoonish in style, are equally well done. But what makes this stand out from the others?

My favourite character was Remy's imaginary ghost friend Chef Gusteau and the line: "How would I know I had a son, I'm a figment of your imagination, if you didn't know how could I know?"

It is somewhere between The Incredibles and your standard Disney film but in 3D - probably due to having Incredibles director Brad Bird aboard. I like the fact that although the humans can't understand the rodents they still communicate with one another.

Nothing made me think "Wow! this is a great film" but I walked out happy at the end which makes a change. I'll probably get this one on DVD and would watch again if there was nothing else that caught my attention.

see also:
Arthur Christmas, Up, Flushed Away, Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

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photo © Disney Pixar.