More Reviews Of Movies Starring Rats Or Rodents

Cold, chilly months create the perfect atmosphere for hot beverages and curling up with rats and a good movie. Which is why I’m back with another list of film reviews for you.

Last time, my boys Brinley and Moffett put in their two cents as well, but I’m sad to say these precious, elderly, sweeties have since passed on. Even worse, for the first time in almost 30 years, I am — ratless. Hopefully, this is not a permanent situation. It’s a choice — a difficult one — that I needed to make due to chronic health issues.

Being without rats does not make me any less obsessed with them, however. That will never die, and I will always find ways to stay connected to my favorite creatures. One way to do that is to make my husband, Nathan, sit through a few nights of rodent-themed movie viewing with me!

Side note: These reviews are coming from a rat-loving fanatic who does not find rat-negativity entertaining. Also, as an artist, I’m extra critical when it comes to animation and rat design.

Ernest and Celestine (Rated PG)

Synopsis: The movie Ernest and Celestine is the story of an improbable friendship between an orphaned mouse and a grumpy bear. Both loners, the two unlikely creatures form a friendship in the midst of trying to outrun the police.

My Review: I stumbled upon this title while doing research for this article. It is based on a children’s book series by the same name, written and illustrated in 1981 by Gabrielle Vincent (aka artist Monique Martin). The movie was originally screened in French at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and was later dubbed in English and released in the United States in 2014.

Nathan and I were both amused by the choice of animals in this film. Above ground was a society of bears, while below lived one of mice and rats. Both groups feared the other, which led to prejudice and mistrust.

There were clear parallels throughout, to political and societal differences. It also stressed the importance of accepting those differences and breaking through social norms. Yet, this message was not too heavy-handed and didn’t undermine its entertainment value. Instead, the plot takes you through a wild and often silly ride as these two separate societies are forced to reckon with one another as a result of Ernest and Celestine’s budding friendship.

One of the more humorous parts of the movie was the running storyline about teeth and how incisors are the foundation to rodent society. For if a rodent loses a tooth, they are rendered unable to speak properly. Celestine is even tasked with gathering bear teeth for the dental school.

Some rats in the movie are used as an antagonist, but not as a commentary on rats. It’s more about the main characters being portrayed as the only voice of reason, while everyone else comes across fairly shortsighted.

When it came to the art, it was obvious that the creators wanted to stick with a classic painted aesthetic, like the one in the book series, versus a highly saturated computerized one like Pixar and DreamWorks tend to use. This choice worked beautifully! Done in earth-toned watercolors and sketchy lines, the plot plays out as though it’s coming straight off the pages of the book and into your living room.

I especially loved that many scenes are brought to life through Celestine’s own artwork, as she spends a chunk of the movie doodling and sketching her feelings. I did find Celestine’s proportions strange, though. When standing next to Ernest, she was the size of say, a bear cub. And why did none of the rodents have whiskers? Even without them though, I loved the stylized way the rats in particular were drawn!

There are a few scenes and concepts that have the potential to be intense or frightening for extremely young or sensitive viewers, but ultimately, I think this film is perfect for family viewing. Afterward, you may even want to hunt down the French animated TV series that came out as a result of the movie, or the movie’s sequel Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (also in French). I plan on looking into the book series and wish I had known about them when I was a kid or when my son was young.

The Rescuers (Rated G)

Note: This movie has zero rats in it and only shows mice, which Brinley and Moffett would have been miffed about. Considering how few stories there are about rats though, especially as a protagonist, I’m sure you’ll agree that mice (or any other rodents for that matter) are a good stand-in.

Synopsis: After finding a “Help Me” letter in a bottle, two mice from the Rescue Aid Society go on a wild adventure to save a young human orphan from her kidnappers.

My Review: I loved this movie as a kid and watched it numerous times in my youth. Yet, I remembered very little about it. My initial impression of it now is somewhat less favorable. For one, I had forgotten how dark the storyline is. Did I grasp the theme when I was young? Which is, um, kidnapping and child labor, apparently. But hey, I think heavy adult themes were just par for the course with classic Disney films and other animated kid movies coming out of the ’60s and ’70s. The music throughout also instantly ushered back memories of the weepy folk music often displayed in kids’ films from this era. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan.

Setting that aside, I did enjoy brave Miss Bianca and her nervous co-agent Bernard. Nathan and I also found it comical that all the mice used unknowing humans as transportation to get to their very important Rescue Aid Society meetings.

Additionally, we both appreciated the old animation and stylistic oil pastel drawing choices in the opening scenes. It’s a reminder of the artistic talent that was involved before computer-generated animation. I’m probably a tiny bit too nitpicky when it comes to how the mice were drawn, however. Such as the “whites” of Bernard and Miss Bianca’s eyes being colored the same as their fur, or that none of the mice had pink-colored feet, hands, noses, or tails. Other than that, they were pretty cute.

I may not hold the same reverence for The Rescuers as before, but I love that mice are used as heroes in this film. Mice as a species are shown dedicating their time and livelihoods to rescuing children around the world. If only the humans knew how instrumental these brave rodents were to saving the day.

Despite having some objections, this movie is a win for any rat-owning, classic Disney fans. It’s even got a sequel, The Rescuers Down Under.

Flushed Away (Rated PG)

Synopsis: A pet rat named Roddy finds himself in an underground world after being flushed down the toilet by a wild rat intruder.

My Review: When this movie originally came out in 2006, I was ecstatic because it featured rats instead of mice. Upon my second viewing, I can see why Ratatouille became the standout rat film instead a year later. That’s not to say Flushed Away isn’t good, but neither the film nor the main character have as much charm as Remy does. If you’re looking for a rat-friendly film though, this should definitely be on the list.

First off, Roddy isn’t just a rat, he’s a domesticated pet! How often do you see that in a movie? Plus, I was drooling over Roddy’s swanky cage, wishing I could have afforded something so posh for my own rats.

Second, it was produced by the same animation studio (Aardman Animations) behind the famous Wallace and Gromit. I was such a big fan of the claymation duo back in the ’90s that I named one of my rats Wallacen Gromit (my spelling for making three words into two, although I called him Gromit for short) as an homage. Fun fact, you can spot a Gromit stuffie sitting near Roddy’s cage at the beginning of the movie.

Due to the influence of Wallace and Gromit, the CGI rats were designed in a similar style, i.e., buggy eyes super close together, and a giant grin full of teeth. As a Wallace and Gromit fan, I didn’t hate it — but I was disappointed that none of the rats actually looked like rats. They oddly lacked both fur and whiskers. Because they were all dressed in clothes, they looked more human. The only resemblance to rats was their ears, tails, and a long snout (with a black nose instead of pink). This made me wonder if maybe the artists had never seen a rat before.

As for the plot, I think the writers focused on the wrong thing. Roddy was a pet, yet very little time is taken to show that. As an owner, I would have preferred to see the crazy antics unfold in the house rather than the entirety of it happening under London. Although, I loved the idea and look of Ratropolis, a rat version of London, existing right under the human’s feet. Especially because I love anything relating to London! I also liked the concept of a domestic rat meeting his wild counterparts. But, as a longtime owner, I wish there had been more storyline involving Roddy being spoiled by his humans. Plus, he should have had cagemates.

Overall, though, this movie is funny and enjoyable and makes a great option for any rat lover.

The Highway Rat (Rated NR)

Synopsis: A greedy rat travels the highway, stealing food from other animals before being outsmarted.

My Review: This film is technically a short, with a runtime of 25 minutes, and was created by the BBC. Originally a children’s book by author Julia Donaldson, which was inspired by the poem “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes. Like Ernest and Celestine, I came across it while doing research and the animation alone caught my attention. The characters and sets are all beautifully sculpted and then digitized into stop motion, which gives it extra charm.

Unlike the rest of the movies on my list, the main rat in this is the antagonist. The highway rat’s gluttony seems to have no bounds, especially when it comes to sweet treats. He even steals food from his horse!

Was a rat used for this character as a nasty dig at rats? Possibly. Which would normally be met with my disapproval, but what owner among us hasn’t had a rat that greedily stole from all their cagemates? I’ve had many, and it made this highway robber feel oddly and nostalgically familiar. The highway rat’s horse (who must be tiny if he’s small enough for a rat to ride) also adds extra humor throughout this charming little flick. Frankly, this selfish rat and his movie with a moral ending, were both just too cute for me to stay mad at. The Highway Rat is definitely worth viewing!

That’s A Wrap

Movie watching isn’t as enjoyable without rat snuggles, but I’d like to think Moffett and Brinley were with me in spirit. I even set out the drawing I did of them for my first list of reviews as a way to honor their memory.

I think they would have both enjoyed the movies on this list, and I hope you and your family do, too.