Remy the Rat wants to be a chef

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2012)

Having enjoyed several other Pixar films; The Toy Story Trilogy, Wall-E and The Incredibles, I was keen to see this when it was on television recently, and while I don't think it was quite as good as those it was entertaining and as one would expect from Pixar it was beautifully animated.
This film tells the story of Remy the rat; he isn't any old rat though; he has a nose for the finest foods and has even learnt how to cook from watching the great chef Auguste Gusteau on television. One day he is forced to flee from his rural home and is separated from his family in the sewers; when he climbs out he finds himself in the heart of Paris within sight of his hero's restaurant. When he looks through the window he sees garbage boy Linguini making some additions to the soup; realising the soup is being ruined he sneaks in and adds a few touches of his own... the soup is served to a critic and is a triumph... which doesn't please Skinner, the chef who took over after Gusteau died. Linguini is told he must make it again... something he can't do until he meets Remy. Being a rat Remy can't talk but they find a way to communicate and his cooking gets more and more popular; of course he can't tell anybody who is really doing the cooking! While this is going on we have a romantic subplot involving Linguini and Chef Colette, Skinner worrying that Linguini may be the rightful heir to Gusteau's restaurant and a visit from a famous critic who caused the establishment to loose one of its stars on his last visit.
At almost two hours in length this did feel a little bit too long but not hugely so; the story was enjoyably and provided a decent number of laughs; largely from the deliberately unlikeable Skinner; although I suspect the biggest laughs for younger viewers will come from Remy's method of controlling Linguini. As well as laughs there were plenty of thrills, although none too scary; it is rated 'U' after all. The animation is absolutely stunning with the virtual camera moving in ways that gives shots that would be almost impossible in a live action film. As mentioned before this film is rated 'U' but that doesn't mean only children will enjoy it; there is plenty here to entertain viewers of all ages.