They're coming -- thousands of ravenous, blood-thristy rats -- and the terrified occupants of a New York City department store have no where to hide. Not only are these genetically altered creatures smarter, stronger, and bigger than normal rats, they've also acquired a taste for human flesh. Time is running out for investigator Jack Carver (Vincent Spano), the only man wh can discover how these rodents became violent killers and stop their trail of victims before its too late. The suspense builds in the sewers and subways of Gotham as a battle rages to determine which species will survive? Man or beast!

"Anywhere you go in this city, you're only about five feet from a rat." These reassuring words set the tone for The Rats, a cheesy 2002 TV movie with a rather fun attitude toward its icky subject. The furry creatures are overrunning a Manhattan department store, with only store manager Mädchen Amick and exterminator Vincent Spano standing between the city and the establishment of a full-scale rodent kingdom. What takes this movie way beyond Willard is the CGI paint box, which brings scenes--many, many scenes--of swarming rats: rats filling a children's swimming pool, rats dropping onto a subway car, rats teeming over unfortunate extras. The movie isn't top-drawer in budget or anything else, but it seems aware of the 1950s monster-movie spirit, and the rat-cam and nibbling sound effects are unleashed with glee. It might make you think twice about lifting that toilet lid. --Robert Horton

DVD features
A DVD featurette reveals the secrets behind working with rats in movies, with a rodent wrangler demonstrating the tricks of the trade (peanut butter is key). A bit player's discomfort at being covered with rats--hey, it's still showbiz, right?--makes this a fitting addition to the disc. --Robert Horton

From the Back Cover
They're coming--thousands of ravenous, bloodthirsty rats--and the terrified occupants of a New York City department store have nowhere to hide. Not only are these genetically altered creatures smarter, stronger, and bigger than normal rats, they've also acquired a taste for human flesh. Time is running out for investigator Jack Carver (Vincent Spano), the only man who can discover how these rodents became violent killers and stop their trail of victims before it's too late. The suspense builds in the sewers and subways of Gotham as a battle rages to determine which species will survive... man or beast!