Your Friend the Rat (2007)
Your Friend the Rat Review
Your Friend the Rat is a 2007 animated short film. It is a Pixar short that was based on ‘Ratatouille’.
The short takes on the form of an educational film and stars rats Remy and Emile, the main protagonists of ‘Ratatouille’, who argue for the reconciliation of humans and rats. They use historical facts presented via various styles of animation similar to the Disney educational shorts of the fifties. While undeniably lacking in originality and forsaking the sophistication of the feature film in favor of educating the youth, this short really works within the confines of its limiting approach.
The animation is incredible. We see a lot of stylish 2D animation that is pleasantly old-fashioned and full of lovely storybook sensibilities. The mixing of different styles, color palettes and ideas made for a consistently engaging and fresh short that also benefits from excellent narration and a solid use of the characters of Remy and Emile. Presenting the rats’ case and explaining why they have been vilified throughout human history was a sound idea and it functions as a surprisingly insightful history and biology lesson for children. The highlight was that final scene where Pixar makes a statement that rats are actually dangerous while the two rats try to stop that message from appearing on the screen.
