The idea of a rat rustling up delectable dishes in a rarefield Parisian restaurant isn't one that has the taste buds tingling.

Yet director Brad Bird and the peerless animators at Pixar have cooked up a enticing dish from premium ingredients and served them up with a soupcon of slapstick.

It's no exaggeration to say that some of the scenes stand comparison with classic Disney animation or the balletic clowning of Tom & Jerry at its Oscar-winning finest.

Remy (voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt) transcends his rodent origins when he flees his provincial roots and winds up in the kitchen of his foodie hero Gusteau.

Unfortunately, Gusteau has passed on to that celestial chophouse in the sky but his spirit lives on, continually popping up to convince Remy to follow his finely tuned nose and succeed as a chef.

The only way he can do this is via incompentent dishwasher Linguini (Romano), who he manipulates like a giant mannequin by pulling his hair while crouching hidden under a chef's hat.

If it it all sounds a bit ridiculous...then it is. Yet Brad Bird is no slouch when it comes to imbuing his characters with living, breathing detail - and here he is triumphant.

He's also adept at the action setpiece: one scene where Remy has to cross the kitchen undetected while running the gauntlet of bubbling pots, simmering pans and flaming grills is surely destined to become a comedy classic.

Another highlight is the casting of Peter O'Toole as the voice of vulpine food critic Anton Ego, an omnipotent wrecker with the power to sustain or destroy a celebrity restaurant.

All the ingredients come together to make a richly rewarding main course, seasoned with wit and wisdom yet never half-baked.

Tim Evans