ABSTRACT
Animators love to work around contradictions. So characters, if intended to be memorable and able to carry a whole series, should have two sides: one that corresponds with the expectations of viewers and one that does not, that comes as a surprise. Humans are at the top of the food chain, Ed Hooks argues, so with animals and humans in the same story, the humans must remain at the top of the food chain. Although Remy is on par with or even better than human cooks, the natural barrier between animal and human world is kept. Communication between them is something of a hat trick. The rats are no humans. They remain rats. Actors as well as animators must understand and fully absorb their characters: their incentive and motivation, their personality and logic. Actors must find a reason for each step, every action, and even if they transform into an animal in a children's play.
