The premise of the movie is quite simple. Remy, a rat that happens to possess a wonderful sense of smell, yearns to become a chef in the land of haute cuisine, Paris. Remy's inspiration is chef Gusteau, a noted Parisian chef whose motto is 'Anyone can cook'. But, Gusteau is no more as he dies of a broken heart after food critic Anton Ego's review results in the loss of a 'star' for his famed restaurant.

Remy's family comprises of his brother who almost hero-worships him and his father who wants Remy to stick with the clan.

A series of events lead to Remy finding himself in the very restaurant that Gusteau owned. What's more, he even concocts a soup that wins the appreciation of a noted food critic. But, a rat in the kitchen is something restaurants don't take to lightly. Remy is captured and the present chef Skinner (who fancies owning Gusteau's restaurant one day) orders the newly-appointed garbage boy Linguini to dispose of him.

Linguini, who happens to have seen Remy's cooking skills, has other ideas. He decides to use the services of Remy to become a chef himself. Thus they forge an unlikely partnership where Linguini executes Remy's recipes by an innovative method, a la puppetry. Whether Remy brings back the fame and patronage that the restaurant enjoyed during Gusteau's time forms the rest of the story. And that is told with great gusto in the climax where curiously Remy has to cook a dish that pleases Anton Ego.

Pixar, since the Toy Story days, has been setting up new benchmarks in 3D animation and this film is no exception. The rumble and tumble of a restaurant's kitchen, the breathtaking sights of Paris are all brought out with remarkable detail that the animation hardly registers. You can even see the scratches and rusts on the knifes, the fine strands of Linguini's hair and the glorious night lights of Paris quite like reality. Such is the level of animation that you can even smell the flavor of the food on the screen.

The exceptional voice-cast, unlike many of today's animation films, boasts no celebrities except for legendary actor, Peter O'Toole, who voices Anton Ego with exceptional vigor. And the background score by Michael Giacchino always keeps the pace moving.

Director Brad Bird, who won the Academy Award for his 'The Incredibles', continues in a similar vein here and it should come as no surprise if he adds one more Oscar to his kitty. Rather than bending to market considerations, he has made an intellectual animation film that, unlike many others, speaks mainly to adults while charming children.

'Ratatouille', which is more about ambition than emotion, might not set the box-office on fire like its more successful predecessors like 'Finding Nemo' or 'The Incredibles', but will definitely be a delight for connoisseurs of intelligent films.