Ratatouille will make you wonder why animation needs to hide behind the mantle of 'it's for children, but grownups will like it, too.' This one's for Mom and Dad, and yep, the kids will like it, too.A lot of animated movies have inspired sequels, notably Shrek, Ratatouille is the first one that made me positively desire one.

Brad Bird has a rare cinematic gift: the ability to stage slam-bang action sequences without neglecting the rich emotional resonance that makes for a great story.The film may be animated, and largely taken up with rats, but its pulse is gratifyingly human. And you have never...