Ratatouille, Brad Bird’s third animated masterpiece in a row, feels like a culmination of the lessons learned by Pixar over the previous twelve years of feature filmmaking and also the beginning of a newer, more adventurous direction. That is not to belittle what went before (Monsters, Inc. is still my favourite Pixar feature) but the film marked a slight shift into richer, more mature, yet still accessible territory. It is a film that still possesses the familiar Pixar odd couple relationship, rooting for the underdog (or should that be underrat?) and the inspirational follow your heart message, yet it goes deeper than many of their films.

Ratatouille, for those three people unfortunate enough not to have sampled its numerous delights,…

Pixar had been my most dependable movie studio by the time Cars came out and really to me that took the wind out of Pixar's sails as far as I was concerned. I still wanted to see Ratatouille but after Cars I was more than a little cautious. Not only that but the plot of the movie left me pretty skeptical as well. I mean its about a rat who loves to cook and controls a chef by pulling on his hair? Interesting for sure but I didn't know how well it would translate.

Silly me for ever doubting Pixar. Not only did they erase the bad taste of Cars out of my mouth but they replaced it with the…

At the moment, the best films on planet Earth are coming from Pixar Studios. And if Ratatouille never scales the heights of the dream factory's sporadically dazzling follow-up, WALL-E, it's an altogether more consistent film that leaves you with that familiar warm glow. Remy is an aspiring chef who dreams of emulating the late, great Gusteau, a legendary Parisian gourmet. Unfortunately his family - and the new owner of Gusteau’s eaterie – don’t think he’s cut out for it. After all, he's a rat. Enter his saviour: an endearingly geeky garbage boy who’s just landed a job at the restaurant. Seizing the hair of the young dogsbody, Remy seizes his chance, operating the kid like a puppet and turning him…

I finally watched The Lion King a few days ago. To say the very least, I found it to be a deeply powerful and entertaining piece of brilliance and something I would happily watch over and over again. Crafted so beautifully and flooded with the most impressive visuals it was a delight and as strong and monumental as it is, Ratatouille is an equally strong piece of work. I remember going out on one day in 2007 and buying the DVD. At the time I was young and probably only enjoyed it for its entertainment value, but there’s so much more to admire about it on a subsequent rewatch 6 years later. Now 19 years old, I truly understand and…