The Highway Rat is a 2017 25-minute animated Short Film directed by Jeroen Jaspaert.
It's about a greedy rat who robs other Funny Animals of their food. It was the fifth of The BBC's Christmas Animated Adaptations of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture books, following The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom and Stick Man, and the one that started a tradition of a new adaptation being produced annually (the previous ones being irregularly every 1-3 years).
The voice cast includes Rob Brydon as the Narrator/The Horse, David Tennant as the Rat, Frances de la Tour as the Rabbit, Tom Hollander as the Squirrel and Nina Sosanya as the Duck.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Context Change: The Rat's ending is portrayed in a far happier light in the BBC animation than in the book.
- Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: Rat wears 18th century costume, including a tricorn hat, Badass Cape and Cool Mask.
- Balloon Belly: Rat gain weight after eating all the food he stole from the other animals.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: All of the other animals, except Rat who is The One Who Wears Shoes.
- Being Good Sucks: The other wimpy animals.
- Big Eater: Rat loves eating sweets and desserts.
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Broken Aesop: The BBC intended to use the film as a warning about the consequences of stealing and overeating, but most viewers ended up Rooting for the Empire and cheering on the Villain Protagonist. - Cool Sword: Rat wields a Royal Rapier.
- Defeat Equals Friendship: Between Duck and Rat, after he gives up banditry and finds a job.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Rat is trapped in a cave for months because he stole some cakes.
- A Dog Named "Dog": The adventures of a rat called Rat and a duck called Duck.
- Expy: Rat's mannerisms and costume are based on Adam Ant and The Mark of Zorro (1940).
- Feet-First Introduction: The camera focuses on Rat's Boots of Toughness
- Good Costume Switch: After the Heel Realization Rat leaves his hat, mask and cape in the cave.
- Good is Not Nice: Duck uses deception to lure Rat into the cave.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Duck wears only a headscarf and an apron.
- Heel–Face Turn: The horse feels more and more guilty over Rat's behaviour, and eventually abandons his master.
- The Highwayman: Rat rides a horse, wears the puffy shirt and hat of The Dandy, and terrorises passing travellers into handing over their food.
- Jabba Table Manners: Rat’s manners were rough and rude.
- Jerkass Realization: Rat sees a reflection of himself in the cave and recognises the same terrified look from the faces of his victims.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: The horse becomes increasingly appalled by Rat's treatment of his victims, but the last straw is when Rat steals his hay, doesn’t notice when he needs water and tries to force him to enter the cave.
- Narrator All Along: The Rat's horse.
- Parody: The verses share a rhythm with Alfred Noyes's poem "The Highwayman".
- Reformed Criminal: Rat, after his Heel Realization, gets a job in a cake shop.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The old baker who employs a reformed Rat in his cake shop.
- Sweet Tooth: Unlike other Highwaymen, Rat seeks sweets and desserts not treasure and money.
- Trademark Favourite Food: Rat loves all kinds of sweets, puddings and desserts but adores pink cupcakes the most.
- Unscrupulous Hero: Duck exploits Rat's hunger to lure him into a cave that she claims is full of cakes. The cake was a lie.
- Villain Song: Rare non-sung example: Hand over your pastries and puddings! Hand over your chocolate and cakes! For I am the rat of the highway, and whatever I want I take!
- Violent Glaswegian: Rat threatens his victims and prods them with his sword, but is more of a Harmless Villain whose attempt to steal honey from a beehive is comically thwarted.
- You Dirty Rat!: The titular character himself. No longer become this after escaping from the cave.
