Your Friend the Rat

Cute little short assembled partially from all the research that had been done about rats for film Ratatouille. Features Remy and Emil from Ratatouille in there full computer animated form presenting documentary style evidence of their reasons that mankind and rats should get along better. The documentary portions utilize a number of hand drawn animation styles including the Walt Disney Educational films of the 60's and 70's.

The various styles of animation are very evocative and add to the story and the humor.

Ends with a humorous disclaimer (by the producers) about some of the ideas espoused by Remy and Emil, much to their chagrin..

Your Friend the Rat (2007)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Very funny and highly entertaining "learning" films has the rats from Pixar's RATATOUILLE telling us the history of rats and explaining why humans should make peace with them. We get to learn various things like how they help us in science experiments, how they are worshiped in India and we get to learn about their earliest days on Earth. I was really shocked to see how funny this short was and it really wanted to make me watch the feature, which I'm sure is a good thing. There were several jokes that had me laughing out loud including the wonderful one where the rats were hit with an atomic bomb and we're told they suffered no side effects but then we see them walk out with three heads on the one body. The black plague sequence was also extremely funny as well as the scenes where we learn that rats can get into your home by the toilet. I enjoyed that they also mixed up the animation a little here as it wasn't all CG. The final joke with the rats trying to keep the disclaimer off the screen also worked very well.

This is a Pixar short to Ratatouille.

It is a broadcast on behalf of the Rat Preservation Society.

Although as you learn that as rats can survive a nuclear explosion, they do not need much aid in preservation.

Remy and his brother Emile tell the audience why rats and humans should be friends as they go through the history of rats and how they have populated the globe.

Funny, informative and nice animation.

Or is it year of the Rat? No pun intended - but you will get schooled here (the no pun intended covers this one too, if you were wondering). It has been a minute (way more than that of course), since I watched Ratatouille. But I think this works as standalone too. If you are aware of the bigger picture (again no pun intended).

This is also fairly long for a short movie. And then there is the voice cast - not sure what contracts they have, but I am just glad when they can have the stars do the voices again. You can tell they are having fun too. This takes us on a ride and tells us who is looking at whom and why ... well I won't get too much into it. But of course this is not real life - this is about a fictional world. That may expand parents issues with their kids wanting to have a mouse (or rat) as a pet ... this is the downside when something is so good and/or cute ...

I like Pixar very much, and I very much enjoyed Your Friend the Rat. I do prefer the movie Ratatouille, but this short film does compliment it quite well. It mayn't be one of Pixar's very best, I think there are Pixar short films with a little more heart(ie. Geri's Game and Presto), though Your Friend the Rat is not devoid of that quality, and I can see where people are coming from when they say it's a tad stuffy. However, it is one of Pixar's most interesting, mainly for the structure of the story and how much it teaches and the wonderful animation and the techniques used. Your Friend the Rat also has moments where it is funny, the black plague sequence is for me the highlight of the short, the characters are delightful and the voice work is solid. All in all, I personally put other Pixar short films over this one, but it is still very interesting, and not one to be ignored. 8/10 Bethany Cox