Somewhere in the transition between plasticene and pixels, Aardman's uniquely gentle charm has disappeared. What remains is a frantic, deadening affair that's easy to admire but hard to love.
Flushed Away (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:127
Fresh:91
Rotten:36
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Clever and appealing for both children and adults, Flushed Away marks a successful entry into digital animated features for Aardman Animations.
Theatrical Release:01-12-2006
Synopsis: From DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features, the teams behind the Oscar®-winning hits "Shrek" and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," comes the computer-animated comedy "Flushed... From DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features, the teams behind the Oscar®-winning hits "Shrek" and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," comes the computer-animated comedy "Flushed Away." Blending Aardman's trademark style and characterizations with DreamWorks' state-of-the-art computer animation, the film marks a unique new look for the artform. In this new comedy set on and beneath the streets of London, Roddy St. James (Hugh Jackman) is a pampered pet mouse who thinks he's got it made. But when a sewer rat named Sid (Shane Richie) – the definition of "low life" -- comes spewing out of the sink and decides it's his turn to enjoy the lap of luxury, Roddy schemes to rid himself of the pest by luring him into the loo for a dip in the "whirlpool." Roddy's plan backfires when he inadvertently winds up being the one flushed away into the bustling world down below. Underground, Roddy discovers a vast metropolis, where he meets Rita (Kate Winslet), a street-wise rat who is on a mission of her own. If Roddy is going to get home, he and Rita will need to escape the clutches of the villainous Toad (Sir Ian McKellen), who royally despises all rodents and has dispatched two hapless henchrats, Spike (Andy Serkis) and Whitey (Bill Nighy), as well as his cousin -- that dreaded mercenary, Le Frog (Jean Reno) – to see that Roddy and Rita are iced ... literally. "Flushed Away" stars the voices of Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman (Broadway's "The Boy From Oz," the "X-Men" film franchise) as Roddy; four-time Oscar® nominee Kate Winslet ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Iris," "Titanic," "Sense and Sensibility") as Rita; two-time Oscar® nominee Ian McKellen ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "Gods and Monsters") as the Toad; Andy Serkis ("King Kong," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King") and Bill Nighy ("Love Actually") as Spike and Whitey; Shane Richie ("Shoreditch") as Sid; and Jean Reno ("The Tiger and the Snow") as Le Frog. "Flushed Away" is being directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell, and produced by Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Cecil Kramer. -- © DreamWorks [More]
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Jean Reno
Director: David Bowers, Sam Fell
Director: David Bowers, Sam Fell
Story: Peter Lord, Dick Clement, Sam Fell
Screenwriter: Ian La Frenais, Joe Keenan, William Davies
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Producer: Cecile Kramer, David Sproxton
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Reviews for Flushed Away
It's an interesting approach to bridging two very different disciplines -- it's just a pity they didn't find a better script to try it out on.
The best animated movie of the year and only a whisker shy of the brilliance of Wallace and Gromit.
It may have a fairly standard adventure plot, but it's so fiercely witty that you just can't stop laughing.
The action sequences mostly uninspired and the characterisations and voice-overs underwhelming.
With Flushed Away, Aardman [Animations] has moved away from a guy and his dog to a girl and her mouse, but they're almost just as fun.
Flushed Away will probably make you want to revisit some old, classic Wallace & Gromit short. The Wrong Trousers, perhaps. That would be spot-on.
Has more invention and laughs in its first 15 minutes than in Cars and Monster House put together.
Flushed Away, the new feature from Aardman Animations, revels in its British-ness -- it’s full of bone-dry wit, football references, and ribs on the French -- and I was hooked from the first shot of Tower Bridge.
Most of the fun is in the deft characterizations, the zippy banter, and the joyous sight gags
Achieves a controlled sense of arcane looseness on its way to becoming one of the year's better animated efforts.
Kids will probably be in stinky-sewage heaven with the new computer-animated critter comedy Flushed Away, but even they may realize they're up the proverbial creek in a boat with a faulty motor.
Though Roddy's tale is set in London, it's bloody obvious that DreamWorks is the American tail wagging the rat in this one.
Flushed Away will make you excited about animated movies again. It shows you can still do something with heart and soul even though everyone else is trying to cash in.
...Brilliantly designed, frantically paced, sadly soulless and immediately forgettable.
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