Flushed Away

"You find my pain funny?"
"I find everyone's pain funny but my own. I'm French."

Roddy St. James (Jackman) lives a posh life as a pet in Kensington, England.  When his humans go on vacation, a sewer rat, Sid (Richie), invades the house and flushes Roddy down the toilet.  Roddy discovers a world in the sewers and only one way to get back home: Rita (Winslet), the captain of the Jammy Dodger.

But getting home will be harder than he expects.  They steal from The Toad (McKellen) and are chased by his idiot henchmen, super calm Whitey (Nighy) and perpetually angry Spike (Serkis).  And they are persued by an army of French frogs, led by the Toad's cousin Le Frog (Reno).  With Rita's family and singing slugs, can they find a way above ground?


After successfully charming the world with claymation, Aardman Animations took a chance on computer animation for this film.  While the characters and scenes look like claymation, they were rendered through a computer... but it would be challenging and costly to produce this world using plasticine and stop-motion. Regardless, there is no doubt which studio made this film.  The characters and comedy fit into the Aardman family.

The cast is great.  Ian McKellen's smooth voice lends itself to the mustache twirling villain.  Jean Reno is the perfect foil, as the super laid-back Le Frog.  Le Frog, and his minions, have some of the funniest sequences.  Bill Nighy and Andy Serkis work well as a pair, and meld with their characters.  I actually didn't recognize their voices until I watched the credits.  Hugh Jackman can do anything, and holds his own as the star of the film.  Kate Winslet is an unexpected choice for Rita, but I can't imagine anyone else in the role.

A fun film that kids will love and parents will appreciate.

Flushed Away (2006) 85 minutes
Director: David Bowers & Sam Fell
Starring: Hugh Jackman as Roddy
Kate Winslet as Rita
Ian McKellen as The Toad
Jean Reno as Le Frog
Bill Nighy as Whitey
Andy Serkis as Spike
Shane Richie as Sid