He's got a spoon and he's going to use it.

You knew we couldn't miss Ratatouille, the new Pixar flick, while it was still on the big screen. We finally got out to see it last week. We were not disappointed.

This one's got it all -- food, wine, Paris, secrets, greed, love, betrayal, and...vermin.

The new talent in the Paris food scene is a rat. Prior to his arrival in Paris, Remy has been learning about cooking from the book and television show of the famous chef Gasteau, whose motto was "Anyone can cook." Taking this philosophy to heart, Remy makes the most of a fortuitous accident -- he literally lands in the kitchen of the late chef Gasteau's restaurant -- and despite one hair-raising adventure after another, everything turns out for the best.

The animation is -- do I even need to say it -- amazing. The humans glow and the detail of everything is mind-boggling. While no one would actually confuse this with live action, I found it quite easy to forget that I was watching animation. (There was a moment, in fact, when we see an antique typewriter and I caught myself thinking, goodness, where did they find that treasure?)

The soundtrack, by Michael Giacchino, is fabulous. And frankly, after the stupendous Incredibles soundtrack, I expected nothing less. Anyone who leaves before the final credits have rolled are missing out, as this is when you really have the opportunity to pay attention to the music without the distraction of all that plot stuff...

We thoroughly enjoyed the character of the food critic Anton Ego, who confesses at one point that negative criticism is both fun to write and to read. The examination of the role and of the critic is one of the most intellectually interesting elements of the film.

Oh, and last but not least, Ratatouille has one of the best animated chase scenes ever, when the evil chef Skinner is chasing Remy around Paris.