Flushed Away Review
by Patiche (larts AT juno DOT com)March 3rd, 2007
Written by: Dick Clement
Directed by: Sam Fell, David Bowers, Henry Anderson,
Genre; Animation/Comedy/Kids
Rated: PG
Running Time: 86 mins.
Theatrical Release: November 2006
Distributor: Dreamworks films/Aardman Productions
The Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Jeno Reno, Shane Richie, Ian Mckellan, and Bill Nighy
Animation doesn't get any better then Aardman's "Flushed Away". I rented this movie over the weekend, and after watching Flushed away I thought it was cute, its storyline is also a cute. Aardman and Dreamworks films gleefully take you inside a strange and comedic world of mice, toads, frogs, and every horrible underground slug you can think of. Britain's most noted, and famed production company Aardmen studios is best known for their outstanding and awarding winning animated films as Wallace and Gromit's Curse of the Were Rabbit, (Oscar Win 2005) A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave. Flushed Away is also the winner of the 2006 Film Critics Circle for best-animated film.
While the storyline in "Flushed Away" is cute but it brings on some weakness that's a bit corny and noticeable. For instance, I thought the concept of a mouse saving an underground city of rodents, slugs, and amphibians because of a flush of the toilet to be a much and corny. However, I kept in mind that this is a kid's movie, and anything goes in animated films of this sort.
"Flushed Away" also offers very good animation, sets, and designs made up of cute and adorable characters, along with an excellent soundtrack that wonderfully combines itself with symphony, and soft rock from the world's leading rock singers as Tina Turner, and Christopher Cross. Its adorable cartoonish ambiance and an array of decent action scenes will make you laugh.
In this English animated tale, a rich mouse is the pet of a wealthy English Kensinton family. Hugh Jackson wonderfully portrays Roddy a cute little wealthy mouse left in the house alone after his owners have taken vacation. Roddy gets an unwelcome visit by Sid, a sewer rat that envy Roddy lavished life style of wealth, and wants to have the life that Roddy has. The adventure in this movie kicks off when Sid flushes Roddy down a toilet bowel. Roddy is flushed into the sewers of England, and finds himself in a strange underground city inhabited by mice, frogs, and slugs. The city is Ratropolis, Ratropolis is a city filled with scrounge rats, slugs, and a villainous crime boss, The atrocious Toad portrayed by Ian Mckellan and his entourage of gangster toads, and rats.
La frog portrayed by Shane Richie is the cousin of the toad, and a mercenary gangster figure girded with henchmen that does the dirty work of crime boss, The Toad. The, crime boss wants to take over Ratropolis ridding this city of every rodent and change the population into a world of tadpoles, and frogs. Meanwhile Roddy meets Rita, (Kate Winslet) a mouse and captain of the sewer vessel; The Jammy Dodger is in deep trouble with The Toad because she has stolen his rubby. When Roddy meets Rita, he convinces her that her rubby is fake when he brakes it. Roddy promises Rita a real ruby if she gets him back to his home in Kensington. When Roddy and Rita return to Kensington Rita is given a real ruby and Roddy discovers The Toad's diabolical plan to rid the city of its rodent habitants. What happens next? Will Roddy and Rita defeat the Toad and La Frog? Will they save Ratropolis from The Toad? You find out what happens when you see this animated film.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier "Flushed Away" is an adorable animated movie. It's colorful cinematography, and animation is wonderfully done. I especially enjoyed watching these adorable, and funny little characters come to life on the big screen along with the memoirs of La Frog's defrocked life with the Prince of wails, Prince Charles along with a cute little rendition of Batman's rush to the bat mobile. However, I emphasize that Flushed Away is a children's movie, children at ages 5 to 10 years of age will enjoy this movie very much for its animation, characters, and its over antics of life as a mouse, along with its cartoonish ambiance.
Overall "Flushed Away" gets 3 and a half stars.
Reviewed by Lisa Smith
(c)2007
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