Most people would not be inclined to dismiss Ratatouille as a waste of terrabytes specifically because it's a Pixar movie, for Pete's sake. But I just couldn't find it in me to be excited over this one when I first saw its trailer. So it's a rat and he can cook, very big deal. I was waiting to be intrigued by its chief human character and, as I had found out, that was not the way to go.

Here's how it starts: Linguini's a f*ck-up loser who can't keep a job. He shows up at Gousteau's, a faded glory type fine dining restaurant in Paris now also involved in mass-market microwavable 'cuisine', and gets hired as the garbage boy. Remy is a country rat who, after getting separated from his colony, found himself a privileged spot at a window that looks into Gousteau's kitchen. He also happens to know a thing or two about culinary arts and while he's not the snob his father dismisses him to be, he does strive to get a better way of life even if his family prefers the status quo.

We soon realize why this Linguini kid gets fired all the time as he clumsily knocks over a stock pot full of soup while mopping the kitchen floor. Scared out of his wits, he tries to cover up his crime by filling the pot with water and dumping all sorts of spices and ingredients into it before anyone notices. Remy was watching from his window and sees the disaster. He then rushes inside to stop bumblehead Linguini, who knew nothing about the cooking, from further murdering the recipe. Linguini catches Remy's deeds and traps the rat before he could escape. Just then, the chef throws a fit at Linguini for trying to interfere with the cooking. Nonetheless, Remy saves the soup and made it an instant hit for the restaurant that day. The two become friends and Remy becomes puppet master to Linguini who becomes the toast of the F & B press for resurrecting Gousteau's.