It's because of one of the latter, however, that Remy becomes separated from his family and friends. Ending up in Paris, he learns that not only has Gusteau died (the rat saw him on TV reruns), but also that his famed restaurant is now run by the diminutive yet bossy Skinner (voice of IAN HOLM) who runs the place with an iron fist when not otherwise marketing Gusteau's legendary name on all sorts of food products.

After meeting Gusteau as a ghostly figment of his imagination, Remy ends up falling into the restaurant's kitchen and scrambles to get out, but can't resist the temptation to fix some soup accidentally ruined by the new garbage boy, Linguini (voice of LOU ROMANO).

When that's an unexpected hit with the customers, Skinner is forced to bump him up to a junior chef position with the prickly Colette (voice of JANEANE GAROFALO) as his mentor. Yet, Skinner does so reluctantly, not only because he questions the young man's abilities, but also because he's concerned that Linguini might actually be heir to the restaurant. What he doesn't know is that Remy and Linguini have formed an unlikely partnership where the rat sits under the young man's chef hat and controls his every move by pulling on his hair like a puppeteer's strings.

With their combined culinary work impressing everyone, Skinner tries to get to the bottom of what's occurring, all while preparing for the arrival of legendary, but much feared food critic Anton Ego (voice of PETER O'TOOLE) whose critique can make or break any restaurant.

Although I often view such miniature canines as nothing more than glorified rats, at least it wasn't such a rodent. After all, we had just seen the undercover news report from New York City showing an infestation of such pests in an eating establishment. Beyond roaches and food critics, restaurant owners fear nothing more than such a sighting, especially if the local health inspector might be lurking about.

In a certain Parisian bistro, however, rats, reviewers, inspectors and more add up to a delectable feast, especially when the offering is "Ratatouille." The latest computer-animated picture from the folks of Pixar, the film is a welcomed righting of the venerable and highly creative company after a bit of a misstep with "Cars," the NASCAR themed, kissing cousin to "Doc Hollywood."

While not quite their best work when it comes to plot or an overall enjoyment perspective, it's certainly the most visually impressive and clearly their most mature offering to date. That's not to say, however, that it's stuffy, serious, or lacking what it takes to entertain viewers of all ages. Instead, it's just that while it may contain its share of silly material, cartoon characters (literally and figuratively), and adventurous moments, it has a certain aura that proves the studio and its filmmakers are growing up and maturing as storytellers, and that's a good thing.

As its title would suggest, the film is a mixture of various ingredients, seasoned just right, that come together to form a tasty concoction. Part French farce, part American slapstick, it will delight fans of TV cooking shows, Cyrano de Bergerac, and those among you who've been waiting with baited breath for an existential comedy told from the perspective of an emotionally sensitive and culinary gifted rat (c'mon, don't be embarrassed if that's you).

It's the tale of Remy, a rat who doesn't fit in with the rest of his family or friends, especially when it comes to what they normally eat. While any scraps will do for them, he refuses to down refuse, and instead dreams of what he sees on an older woman's TV, namely that of legendary chef Auguste Gusteau who does a cooking show from his highly regarded Parisian restaurant.

Unfortunately for Remy, his reruns hide the fact that he's dead, while the old lady isn't happy to see him in her kitchen, and hopes to send him and his kind packing via the bad end of her wildly fired shotgun. As a result, Remy is separated from the others and then finds himself on the French capitol's streets where he's befriended and advised by Gusteau's spirit.

The rat ends up in the chef's former kitchen, now run by the Napoleon like Skinner, and tries to escape. Yet, he can't stand to pass some soup that's nearly been ruined by Linguini, the nebbish garbage boy, and repeatedly returns to add more ingredients to fix it.

The two then form an unlikely cooking alliance, where Remy does the Cyrano bit by manipulating the young man (via pulling his hair under his cook's hat with marionette type results -- providing for some fun physical comedy). Little of what follows from an overriding storytelling standpoint is terribly groundbreaking or surprising for that matter. Yet, it's with the smaller details that make up the bigger moments where writer/director Brad Bird ("The Incredibles," "The Iron Giant") really shines.

Which also holds true for the computer animation that takes the art to an even higher level than previously achieved. While the humans purposefully aren't "drawn" to appear photo realistic, their universal mannerisms and facial expressions are dead on, and the vocal work by the likes of Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Ian Holm, Peter O'Toole, and many more only add to the effect.

Like the story, however, the beauty of the offering is in the smaller details, from the hairs on the rats to the kitchen implements and especially the Parisian setting. That includes a spectacularly rendered if understated visualization of fog along the Seine River at night, a look and setting often seen in other movies set in the city.

Coupled with some terrific comedy and action sequences, an entertaining story, and engaging characters, the result is a sumptuous offering that both kids and adults alike will probably devour with hearty abandon. "Ratatouille" rates as a 7.5 out of 10.