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Euronews
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
From 'Chicken Run' to 'Ratatouille' - Celebrating World Rat Day with the best cinematic rodents
ADVERTISEMENT Happy World Rat Day! The long-tailed rodents usually get a bad reputation, as most people see them as unclean vermin – and mice get all the good press. Just think about all the commonly expressions and insults featuring the word 'rat', and you'll realise the cuties are usually linked to crime, squalor, illness, betrayal and death. But beyond the age-old associations with disease and the spreading of the bubonic plague that ravaged Europe – which omit the fact that these social animals are actually cleaner than you may think – rats are seen in many cultures as symbols of prosperity and wisdom. They may be the Pied Piper of Hamelin's nemesis, but as a totem animal, they're a powerful emblem. Plus, in dream interpretation, seeing rats in your sleep is a good omen. They deserve more respect, so today of all days, here's Euronews Culture's countdown to the best rats on the big screen. They may sometimes be used as visual shorthand for villainy, but these five cinematic rodents are either misunderstood, heroic, or quite simply show-stealing. Special mention goes to the on-the-nose cameo of that rat in Martin Scorsese's The Departed , as well as the poor Venetian bunch in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade who are scared senseless by our Fedora-wearing hero's fiery antics in the library catacombs. Imagine if some swaggering adventurer came to where you lived and set fire to the place. How rude. 5) Nick and Fetcher Nick and Fetcher DreamWorks Pictures Seen in: 'Chicken Run' (2000) & 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' (2023) The original Chicken Run by Peter Lord and Nick Park is a classic parody of The Great Escape , and features two rodents that steal the show. Yes, as the name suggests, a film about a group of anthropomorphic chickens attempting to escape their fate of becoming pie filling does have poultry as the stars of the show. However, Nick (voiced by Timothy Spall in the original film and comedian Romesh Ranganathan in Dawn of the Nugget ) and Fetcher (Phil Daniels in the first and Daniel Mays in the sequel) are two compadres who help Ginger's cooped-up bunch with their daring escape plot. Granted, the Pinky and the Brain-echoing duo are not the most help, as Nick cynically comments and Fletcher... Well, Fetcher is not the brightest bulb in the pack. However, they're allies, have some of the best lines ('In the unlikely event of an emergency, put your head between your knees and...' 'Kiss your bum goodbye!!'), and share philosophical discussions about what comes first: the chicken or the egg. Hardly the musings of a filthy species now is it? 4) Splinter Splinter Paramount Pictures Seen in: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series – from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990) to 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' (2023) Splinter, the mutant rat mentor to the four crime-fighting turtles, may live in the sewers, but he's a symbol of wisdom in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Not counting the numerous TV series and video games, the teacher / sensei / adoptive father figure has appeared in seven feature films – both live action and animated – and usually represents the calm in the storm. Indeed, he's usually portrayed as a stoic sage who never raises his voice, even when aggravated by the four mutant reptiles. More than that, he gives onscreen rats a good name by embodying the principles of devotion, family love, and the admiration for TV soaps and Ice pops. ADVERTISEMENT In the most recent film, last year's critically lauded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , the character is voiced by none other than martial arts legend Jackie Chan. This iteration of the character was a highlight, and upped the father-figure traits more than previous versions. So, another case of rats being a force for good, as opposed to the criminal or diseased symbol rats usually get saddled with. Speaking of which... 3) Professor Ratigan Ratigan Disney Seen in: 'The Great Mouse Detective' (1986) Yes, rats often get portrayed onscreen as villains... But what villains they are. ADVERTISEMENT Professor Ratigan in ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY FILMS EVER is a criminally underrated antagonist in this Victorian-London set reworking of Sherlock Holmes. The titular Holmes figure is a mouse, thereby reinforcing their cute supremacy in the collective psyche; but as everyone knows, villains have the most fun. Darth Vader (minus the burning bit), Hannibal Lecter, Michael Meyers, Voldemort, The Joker, Anton Chigur – they're all living their best lives. And Professor Ratigan is no exception. The (boring) hero Basil and his retired army surgeon mouse acolyte David Q. Dawson have to face off against the dapper criminal mastermind who has kidnapped a toymaker to create a clockwork robot replica of the Queen of the Mice - so that Ratigan can usurp her place as "Supreme Ruler of all Mousedom". How this didn't win Oscars, we'll never know. ADVERTISEMENT Ratigan outdoes his human counterpart Moriarty in every department, has a peglegged bat as a sidekick and a handy escape plan in the form of a dirigible. Seriously, Academy, how could you let this masterpiece not get a Golden Baldie? OK, it doesn't end well for Ratigan, but falling off Big Ben is not a bad way to go. It's certainly dramatic. His Buster Keaton demise also echoes that of Jack Nicholson's Joker, further proving that Professor Ratigan remains in the same devious and fiendishly clever league as the Clown Prince of Crime. Rest In Power, you stylish rat mastermind. ADVERTISEMENT 2) Rat Rat 20th Century Fox Seen in: 'Fantastic Mr Fox' (2009) The secondary antagonist in Wes Anderson's best film was a rat named Rat. One of the most memorable players in this gorgeous stop-motion Roald Dahl adaptation, Rat was voiced by the one and only Willem Dafoe – who recently starred in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu , which features 2,000 real rats. Rat serves as a security guard for the apple cider cellar, and is revealed as just a rodent who likes to drink cider in solitude. ADVERTISEMENT We've all been there, mate. Yes, Rat is a malicious figure – with red eyes and scars to prove it - and he doesn't exactly elevate the rat reputation, especially when he kidnaps Mr. Fox's son Ash. However, he's got moves, he sounds like Willem Dafoe (always a plus), his name harks back to Cat in Breakfast at Tiffany's , and in the end, he's just a lonely creature who just wants to be left alone to indulge in the occasional binge. Did anyone stop to ask why Billy No Mates needs to drink? Does he have trauma to deal with? A dark past to forget? This is the trouble with modern audiences – we're so quick to factlessly label and never take the time to consider the circumstances. Frankenstein's monster was never a bad guy, just the victim of a misunderstanding. Freddy Krueger chases people in their dreams, but he probably forgot to chase his own. And don't get us started on Maleficent, who was not invited to the social event of the year, and got insulted when she showed up. No wonder she snapped! ADVERTISEMENT Rat deserves justice. He certainly didn't deserve to be electrocuted during a scuffle with a know-it-all fox. 1) Remy Remy Pixar Seen in: 'Ratatouille' (2007) Was there ever any doubt as to what the top pick was going to be? There will be many a discerning cinephile to eruditely argue that Wall-E and Inside Out are Pixar's high watermarks. Nice tries, but the crown – or chef's hat – belongs to Little Chef. ADVERTISEMENT You've got to hand it to Pixar on this one, as the elevator pitch of a country rodent scurrying around a kitchen and restoring a Parisian restaurant to its former glory by helping a bumbling wannabe-chef cook the ultimate French Provençal vegetable dish is… odd. But Brad Bird and his team transformed this whimsically nuts idea into a gorgeously animated celebration about following your passion, reminding you that creative excellence can come from anyone. More than that, he and his animators delivered a beautifully surreal thesis on the nature of criticism and a potent meditation on the uppity devolvement of gastronomy, which has forgotten its roots in favour of inaccessibility, prejudice and snobbishness. Only a rat could have set things straight. Particularly impressive is the way the film makes culinary prowess joyfully cinematic, with slapstick goodness and visual representations of flavours and odours. These elements ensure that Ratatouille remains, 17 years on, a timeless classic that works as a colourful ride for the kids and a Proustian meditation for the older viewers about how we lose sight of what moves us because of the pessimisms of adult life. And there's simply no denying that this cinematic masterpiece and its little furry hero has done more to improve the reputation of rodents in film than any other on-screen creature before him. ADVERTISEMENT So, whether you're catching up on this Oscar-winning glory or revisiting it for the millionth time (and appreciating all those little details like Anton Ego's skull-shaped typewriter, or how our young chef protagonist is wearing Incredibles underpants), Ratatouille is a sensory and emotional delight that's downright delicious. All thanks to a rat.
Buzz Feed
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
People Have Strong Reactions To Zachary Levi's Defense Of His "Sacrifice" To Support Donald Trump
Zachary Levi is standing ten toes down in Tinseltown. The star of the Shazam! films has had a complicated relationship with Hollywood after he became rather vocal about his political beliefs. He was initially an outspoken supporter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president until he dropped out and backed Donald Trump. In September 2024, he attended a Trump rally to join a conversation between RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, saying, "We're here to make sure that we are going to take back this country. We are going to make it great again. We are going to make it healthy again." "I do believe that of the two choices that we have — and we only have two — Donald Trump, President Trump is the man that can get us there. And he's gonna get us there because he's gonna have the backing and the support and the wisdom and the knowledge and the fight that exists in Robert Kennedy Jr. and former representative Tulsi Gabbard." Following his endorsement, many began to wonder what influence his acting career might have had on his endorsement. An insider even told The Hollywood Reporter that Zachary"thought [ Shazam! ] was his ticket to being The Rock or Chris Evans. But it didn't happen for him, and he's bitter about that." The first Shazam! was a big hit at the box office. However, the sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), received mixed reviews. The following year, he starred in Spy Kids and Chicken Run sequels, as well as Harold and the Purple Crayon. Fast forward to 2025. Trump is officially the 47th president of the United States, and Zachary feels mighty emboldened and "felt peace" over his support of Trump's presidency, regardless of what that means for his career in Hollywood. On SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Show to promote his new movie, The Unbreakable Boy, Zachary discussed how God saved his life and how his support for RFK Jr. and Tulsi led to his unwavering support of Trump. "I felt peace because I knew that this was more important than saving my career." "I think we too often fall into these paradigms, these thought processes of self-preservation, and it is not good," Zachary said. "We need to be wise, and we want to survive, and we want to live and flourish and all those things, but we can't merely make decisions off of, 'Well, I hope nothing bad happens to me.' You got to sacrifice.'" "What am I really afraid of at the end of the day? That I'm somehow going to lose jobs in an industry that I already believe is completely falling apart and that won't even be creating jobs for me in a few years anyway?" he continued. "Like, come on. If I lose all of my acting career, and I hope I don't, and so far I haven't… But none of that matters. If the world goes off a cliff, what does it matter?" Zachary praised Trump for "doing what he said he was going to do," adding it's "some of the things I was kind of even secretly hoping he was going to do because, damn it, we do deserve to know what's going on." "That's why I said on the podcast when I talked to you before: What is it to gain the world but lose your soul in the process, lose our ability to have liberty, freedom, free speech? The things, ironically the people on the other side are suggesting that Trump is trying to take away. Which I'm like, do you understand free speech? I think a lot of people don't understand free speech, that it actually protects hate speech — stuff that I don't want anyone to say. I don't want any of that to come out of people's mouths." "And so it was like, listen, I'm not even giving up my life for that. Some people have died for that. Many people have died for that. If anything, my career dies, my acting career that I've been blessed enough to do for 25 years. If that's in the cards for me, then OK, God, if I'm walking with God, God will protect me," Zachary said. In the spirit of the "free speech" Zachary is championing, here are the mixed reactions he's receiving for his most recent comments: "In what world is supporting a politician more important than having a career??" one person wrote. "I don't know any politician, right or left, that's worth that," one person wrote. "Oh so brave. his career wasn't doing much anything. After Shazam 2 where he was the worst part of the movie (Asher should've been both characters) and then Harry's Puprple PIckle came out and nobody cared. He went MAGA to get attention and he did get it. It just didn't translate to the monetary gain most who know how to capitalize on a crowd usually get," another person wrote. "I cry really, Trump is so sent by God to keep the peace, and he's a hardass!!!! I'm praying for his safety everyday. Chuck is one of the best show/ White collar. I really appreciate Zach." @MegynKelly /
Telegraph
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Real-life Chicken Run as stowaway hen catches ride on lorry for 25 miles
In Chicken Run, hen ringleader Ginger devises a plan to escape the farm by flying over the fence – but in real-life, one hen hitched a ride in the back of a lorry and travelled 25 miles without anyone spotting it. The hen found itself on a version of the children's animated film by clambering into a trailer at a farm in Hartwell, Northamptonshire, and ending up in the town of Irthlingborough. It was only after the road maintenance workers driving the lorry arrived that a resident spotted the feathered hitch-hiker running around the cul-de-sac and asked them if it belonged to them. Together, they worked to catch the bird before she was put safely into the cab while the workers continued with their pothole repairs. Luke Stinson, a workman, shared his tuna sandwich and water in a tea mug with the chicken before transporting her back home. Mr Stinson said: 'I left the farm where these lorries are stored, drove past the A45 past Billing, to Irthlingborough to carry out some maintenance work on the roads. 'We stopped outside a gentleman's house and the chap said 'is that your chicken?' 'I said what chicken? Whereupon, me and the helpful gentleman ran round the cul-de-sac chasing the chicken and rescued it. 'We're going to take it back to the farm where it belongs.' Crew members believe the bird had been roosting on their truck near a hopper filled with road mending grit. Mr Stinson added: 'It's done some miles and it's been sat on the back of the lorry going 56mph on the dual carriageway, so it's done bloomin' well to get here. 'I just can't believe it – it's a 25-mile drive.'
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Working on Wallace & Gromit was very special', says Leicester man
Gav Strange is a man who firmly believes he has the best job in the world. The 42-year-old is a designer and director at Aardman the studio known for creating animated films and shows including Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep. And he worked as a graphic artist on Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the studio's latest project, which attracted more than 9 million viewers on Christmas said: "There was this real energy of, we're making something that is both totally familiar and something I think people are going to love, but with an air of freshness and looking to the future." Mr Strange's first job was as a graphic designer in his home city of Leicester, but decided to strike out somewhere new in his twenties. "Because I didn't go to university, I didn't live in a different city," he said."At 23 or 24 I felt like I needed to go somewhere new and Bristol was the place for me."He then won a job at Aardman, where he has for 17 years as both a designer and director."It's a really special place because the people that work there are so in love with what they do and they're so proud of what they do," Mr Strange said."They're all incredible craftspeople." One of the sequences he worked on for Vengeance Most Fowl was when Norbert, a new character, comes to life."You see the world through his eyes as he's digitally scanning everything," Mr Strange said."I was very fortunate enough to do the design and animation of those bits, so just being a part of it was so special."Mr Strange also made a project called Wallace & Gromit Shot on iPhone which was projected onto the front of Battersea Power Station in London every night in asked if he had the best job in the world, Mr Strange said: "I really feel like I do, and honestly, I feel so proud of it."
