Writer: Cammy Zulkifli

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Watch this if you liked: "Postman Pat" (TV series), "Toy Story" or any Pixar animation films.

Just when you think animation flicks can't get any better, "Ratatouille" comes along and cooks up a story with a lot of heart.

Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is not your average, dirty, garbage-infesting rat. He finds out early that he has a keen - almost epicurean - sense of smell and his unique gift makes him the rat colony's designated rat poison detector. Although useful, he believes that his talent holds the key to fulfilling his biggest dream - to become a great chef just like his idol, Paris' master chef Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett).

A disastrous infiltration of the country home he lives in causes the colony to make an escape and in the process, Remy is separated from his family. He tumbles through the fast and furious sewers until he lands safely - albeit alone and famished - in a dark underground tunnel. Inspiration is conjured in the form of Gusteau, who appears as a figment of Remy's imagination but with a little motivation, Remy musters enough courage to emerge from the dark hole, only to find that he had landed in the sewers of the great city of Paris, home of Gusteau's Restaurant.

The film beautifully conveys Paris from a rat's point of view. Remy's rodent sense of direction takes the viewer into the deepest nooks and crannies of the 'City of Romance'. Watching Remy scamper from one pipe to another and emerging in an entirely different location altogether is like watching what it must really like to be a rat. With great angles and animation, his travels are indeed very engaging to watch.

When Remy arrives at his idol's former restaurant, he is smitten by the smells and intricacies of fine gourmet food. It is here where he meets a young boy named Linguini (Lou Romano), the restaurant's garbage boy who has absolutely no talent for cooking whatsoever. When Remy saves a dish spoiled by Linguini, the two form an unusual partnership. To keep his job at the restaurant, Linguini asks Remy to help him become a good chef and together, they can become the best gourmands in Paris.

Unlike most animation films, "Ratatouille" is down-to-earth in voice acting and the voices fit the characters like a jigsaw puzzle. It never feels (or sounds) like it was lazily slapped with a celebrity's voice, hoping that the viewers would love it.

The story is heart-warming and the film is visually stunning. The animation design reminds me of a good old cartoon I used to watch when I was little called "Postman Pat". I love that series and "Ratatouille" is like a much bigger and more polished version of it. The film is exciting with a dose of good, hearty, wholesome sense of humour. I recommend bringing your appetites with you to watch it.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008