{"id":3462,"date":"2023-12-24T19:35:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-25T01:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/?p=3462"},"modified":"2024-01-01T14:51:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T20:51:00","slug":"reviewing-movies-about-rats-with-my-rats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/reviewing-movies-about-rats-with-my-rats\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviewing Movies About Rats With My Rats"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"drawing
Brinley and Moffett offer their thoughts on a few movies featuring rats (and a mouse). Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This winter season I\u2019m trying to find ways to relax and decompress. So before extended family arrives and holiday festivities begin, I asked my rattie boys to do a movie marathon with me and help me review them.<\/p>\n

To narrow down the colossal list of family-friendly movies available, I opted for movies based on rats and\/or mice. And I landed on: The Secret of NIMH<\/em> (1982), Stuart Little<\/em> (1999), Ratatouille<\/em> (2007), and The Amazing Maurice<\/em> (2022).<\/p>\n

Side note: These reviews are coming from an overly opinionated and totally obsessive rat lover\/owner, who loathes anything negative about rats, and her two trusted rattie companion brothers Brinley and Moffett. We mainly focus on how rats are portrayed and treated in these stories. And because I\u2019m also an artist, how well they are drawn or animated is also a factor.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h3>\n
\"a
Popcorn for rats must be plain, no butter, salt, or extras. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I got the couch set up with lots of blankets and Christmassy hiding huts. Then I plopped the boys down so we could start our first movie.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Boys, our first movie is one I saw as a kid.<\/p>\n

Brinley (snickering):<\/strong> That must be REALLY old then!<\/p>\n

Me (glaring):<\/strong> Brinnels! Rude!<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> Where\u2019s the popcorn? You can\u2019t seriously expect us to watch a movie without it.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later the boys had their popcorn demand met, and we finally started the movie. Note that popcorn given to rats must be butter-free, low-sodium, and given in sparing amounts.<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> Hey, that mouse\u2019s name is Mrs. Brisby like that other rat in our room!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Yep, that\u2019s where I got her name. But she\u2019s called \u201cMiss\u201d Brisby since she never got married.<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: I have a rescued, white-throated woodrat, aka a packrat, named Brisby that can\u2019t be re-released into the wild. Her cage resides in the same room with the boys, but they don\u2019t interact.<\/p>\n

It took us a while to get through the entire film because of a few bathroom breaks and the boys running into their hut during \u201cscary scenes,\u201d but our take is below.<\/p>\n

The Secret of NIMH<\/em> (Rated G)<\/h3>\n
\"a
The Secret of NIMH<\/em> proved to be scary for the rats. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Synopsis:<\/strong> A widowed field mouse desperately needs to relocate her home before the farmer plows through it. However, her son Timothy has come down with pneumonia (probably from Mycoplasma<\/a>), forcing Mrs. Brisby to seek the help of The Great Owl and a group of mysterious rats that live in a nearby rose bush.<\/p>\n

My Review:<\/strong> I had forgotten what this movie was actually about, because I was not prepared to learn that the rats, along with Mrs. Brisby\u2019s husband, were lab animals at the National Institute of Mental Health (N.I.M.H). The experiments done on them gave them longer life spans and greater intelligence, which ironically helped them escape. But animal testing in a kid\u2019s film? That\u2019s a huge NO for me!<\/p>\n

I appreciate that rats in general weren\u2019t portrayed as evil. Some were understandably angry with humans and had indeed become villains, but others were heroic and empathetic.<\/p>\n

Despite being a cartoon, I found the scenes of rats screeching and being injected with needles to be rather upsetting. Especially because this movie is rated G (yet also has a few cuss words) and is marketed for kids. I\u2019m also remembering that this movie frightened me as a child. Another thing I disliked was the appearance of the rats after the experiments took place. It\u2019s like the art department had never seen a rat before. The rats resembled something more akin to a fox.<\/p>\n

This movie is probably not for the very young or sensitive rat lover in your life. At least not until you feel they can handle the heavier topics and violence depicted. Even as an adult, having rats made this movie much less enjoyable than I expected. I\u2019m not likely to ever view it again.<\/p>\n

Brinley and Moffet\u2019s Review:<\/strong> This movie was scary! There was a mean cat; a scary owl; a HUGE, YUCKY spider; and pointy, sharp things that made the rats cry. This made us very sad. We\u2019re glad we took a nap through most of it.<\/p>\n

Intermission<\/h3>\n

Me:<\/strong> Let\u2019s move to the next movie. Sadly, there are no rats in this one, just a mouse named Stuart.<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> I guess that\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Is it scary?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> I think you\u2019ll like this one. Stuart lives with humans who love him.<\/p>\n

Stuart Little<\/em> (Rated PG)<\/h3>\n
\"rats
The rats cheered the heroic Stuart Little. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Synopsis:<\/strong> Wanting a brother for their son, the Littles visit an orphanage where they meet and adopt Stuart, a young boy who happens to also be a mouse. While Stuart is quickly welcomed by his new parents, it takes a little longer for his brother and the family cat to accept the newcomer.<\/p>\n

Brinley and Moffett\u2019s Review:<\/strong> Stuart was like an action hero and always found danger! We had to cover our eyes when he was in the washing machine and on the boat. We hate water! If Stuart had a cage, he could have probably avoided some of these problems. We felt bad for him that he had to brush his weird, white teeth and wear clothes. It\u2019s bad enough when Mom puts hats on us for pictures. But Stuart got to drive his own car, so maybe clothes are worth it.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t like it when a kid in the boat race scene called Stuart \u201ca stupid rat,\u201d as if being a rat was bad. Other than that, we really liked this movie! It was super fun, and Stuart was VERY brave. The only thing that would have made it better was if he\u2019d been a rat and not a mouse.<\/p>\n

My Review:<\/strong> This movie held up to my memory of it. I still find it to be a cute, lighthearted flick, full of adventure. The actors were great, Stuart was as adorable as a mouse should be, and I thought the computer animation was integrated well into the live action.<\/p>\n

I find it rather humorous that Stuart is an actual mouse (in the book he\u2019s described as only looking like one). I mean, who among us hasn\u2019t thought of our rats as children? What I particularly like is that no one but the pet cat seemed to really question this fact. Imagining my boys dressed in tiny clothes every day, brushing their teeth, and sitting with us at the kitchen table for dinner makes me wish this was possible (by the way, rat and mouse teeth are yellowish-brown not white like Stuart\u2019s). I have to agree with the boys though \u2014 the movie would have been MUCH better if Stuart had been a rat instead!<\/p>\n

Intermission<\/h3>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Let\u2019s watch a movie about rats now!<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> Yeah, no more mice.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> You got it boys! Up next is one of my favorite Pixar films called Ratatouille!<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Rata-a-what?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Ratatouille. It\u2019s the name of a French dish!<\/p>\n

Moffett (with a look of horror):<\/strong> Is it made out of \u2026 rats?<\/p>\n

Me (laughing):<\/strong> No! It\u2019s vegetarian and made completely out of vegetables. And in this movie, it\u2019s being made by a rat!<\/p>\n

Brinley and Moffett (in unison):<\/strong> He can cook?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Like a chef!<\/p>\n

Ratatouille<\/em> (Rated G)<\/h3>\n
\"two
Brinley and Moffett really enjoyed watching a movie about rats and food. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Synopsis:<\/strong> A city rat has bigger dreams than just living on the streets of Paris and in sewers and wants nothing more than to create masterful works of tasty art out of food. Knowing how humans would react to him being in the kitchen of a fancy French restaurant, he convinces a young and inept garbage boy named Linguini to pose as the culinary wizard instead. Through Linguine, Remy is able to dazzle the customers\u2019 taste buds before everything goes inevitably awry.<\/p>\n

My Review:<\/strong> If you haven\u2019t seen this movie already what are you waiting for? Any self-respecting rat lover not only owns this movie but has probably seen it at least 10 times! But \u2026 if you haven\u2019t seen it yet, just go do that now. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019re all caught up, I think what ultimately made this movie so special was that it FINALLY made people care about a rat. Not a mouse \u2014 a rat! Not only was a rat the main character, but he was also the protagonist. Ratatouille did away with the tired trope of villain rats. Frankly, that\u2019s a stereotype I\u2019m tired of seeing. Instead, this movie gave the world a rat everyone wanted to root for and turned Remy into an underdog, pop culture icon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also clear that the artists involved spent time observing real rats while creating Remy and his rattie brethren. Of course, real rats don\u2019t actually have thumbs the way Remy does (a nitpicky, pet peeve of mine), but I\u2019ve yet to see any animated or illustrated rat (or mouse for that matter) depicted as thumbless. Except mine, I NEVER draw them on my rat characters! But thumbs aside, I\u2019m a big fan of Pixar\u2019s art style and am thrilled Ratatouille provided some much-needed adorable rat merch for us obsessed owners to collect.<\/p>\n

I absolutely love Remy and this movie despite that I find the concept of a human being controlled like a marionette \u2014 by his hair of all things \u2014 to be far more implausible than, say, a rat becoming a chef, or that humans would ever accept said rat making their meals. Also, I would really love to try some ratatouille.<\/p>\n

Brinley and Moffett\u2019s Review:<\/strong> Yay, finally a movie about rats and FOOD! They showed so many yummy looking things that it made our tummies growl and our mouths water. Mom\u2019s cooking is good, but we doubt she spends as much time and attention to detail on the food she gives us like Remy would. We were also surprised that the Linguini guy let Remy control him, because Mom would never let us pull her hair like that.
\nOur only complaint was how mean some of the humans were. One lady was trying to shoot Remy and Emile, and she chased them until Remy fell in water! Poor Remy got all wet. Mom had to promise we wouldn\u2019t get wet like that or be chased. Mom was right though, we really liked this movie! It shows how misunderstood and underestimated we rats are.<\/p>\n

Intermission<\/h3>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> That movie was great!<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Remy is our new hero!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> I knew you\u2019d like it. Now, our last movie is one I\u2019ve never seen before, but it looks like it\u2019s all about rats, too.<\/p>\n

The Amazing Maurice<\/em> (Rated PG)<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Brinley and Moffett thought the movie should have been named after the rats, who were the true stars. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Synopsis:<\/strong> A clever, talking cat travels around with a band of self-aware rats and their pied-piper friend, conning villagers into thinking there\u2019s a rat plague they need to be saved from. Things are going well until they meet the precocious Malicia, who discovers their scheme and convinces them to help solve a mystery unfolding in her town.<\/p>\n

Brinley and Moffett\u2019s Review:<\/strong> We weren\u2019t sure about this movie at first because it\u2019s named after a stinky cat, but that same cat looked straight at us through the TV, which Mom calls \u201cbreaking the fourth wall\u201d and said that this story was all about \u201cRATS!\u201d And then he sang a song about us! Thankfully that was the only song, because we don’t like musicals. But one song is OK if it\u2019s about rats. Also some of the rats even looked like old friends we used to have, so there was lots of good representation of our kind. Not sure why this movie was named after a cat though, because rats are the stars of it!<\/p>\n

Mom did have to cover our eyes during a dog and rat fight scene, which we didn\u2019t like, but we tried to stay brave. And we were on the edge of our hut during the epic battle with the giant Rat King<\/a>. We won\u2019t tell you how it ended, but if you want an action story about some good-looking, heroic rats, then this is the movie for you!<\/p>\n

My Review:<\/strong> I accidentally stumbled upon this movie and figured, \u201cWhy not.\u201d And I\u2019m so glad I did! What a delightful little film it turned out to be. It\u2019s an adaptation of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the 28th novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, and the first to be written for children. I\u2019ve never actually read the series, so I went in totally blind. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, like Ratatouille, the characters are not clich\u00e9 rats. They are similar to the rats in The Secret of NIMH, in that they (and Maurice the cat) develop their intelligence and ability to talk by an outside source. In this case, from eating magic waste that is being dumped by the Unseen University where all things wizardry happen. I found this to be a clever storytelling device, making the rats themselves responsible for all the plague rumors and providing them a way to profit from it. Sure, they used the plague to grift naive villagers, but sometimes life is about survival, right? Mostly, I thought it was a funny spin on an obvious trope. However, I could have done without the unrealistic and overused squeaky sounds movie makers seem to think rats make.<\/p>\n

One thing that I really loved, but also found confusing, was the coloring of the rats. They each differed in color and markings like domestic rats, which you NEVER see in an animation. But also, why were they like this when they were technically wild? Wild Rattus norvegicus<\/em> are agouti in color with a silvery gray stomach and no markings. Strange choice, but from an artistic point of view it was a good one. And like Ratatouille,<\/em> it\u2019s obvious that time was spent observing rats and their movements, while also taking creative license in their stylized approach. This rat-loving and rat-art-loving artist approves!<\/p>\n

I could honestly break down so much more about this movie and what I liked about it in respect to the rats, but I\u2019ll sum things up. This movie was an enchanting surprise, filled with breaking of the fourth wall hilarity that I think adults will enjoy, while also being an entertaining film for kids. It does have a few scenes that might be a bit scary for very young children, and sensitive rat lovers may squirm during some suggested rat deaths, but, overall, I think this is a great family film.<\/p>\n

The End<\/h3>\n
\"two
What are rats to do after a movie marathon? Sleep, of course! Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Me:<\/strong> Thanks so much boys for the cuddles and watching movies with me! I feel so much more relaxed now.<\/p>\n

Brinley (through yawns):<\/strong> Me, too. So, I\u2019m going to close my eyes just for a moment.<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> Yeah, me\u2026. (snoring)<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s a wrap!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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