Flushed Away (2006)
Directed by David Bowers
London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for a madcap adventure deep in the sewer bowels of Ratropolis, where Roddy meets the resourceful Rita, the rodent-hating Toad and his faithful thugs, Spike and Whitey.
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17 films that influenced Flushed Away
What critics say influenced Flushed Away
Despite being deeply steeped in British culture and dry humor, though, the film from directors David Bowers and Sam Fell (and an army of writers) simply lacks the simple, delicate charm that has marked everything Aardman Features has ever produced on its own (like “Chicken Run” and the Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”).
After beginning its partnership with Hollywood's DreamWorks studio, Aardman stuck to its guns with the charming Chicken Run.
Like other films produced by DreamWorks and Aardman Animation (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), Flushed Away is loaded with groan-worthy puns ("Pardon me, my fly's undone," says The Toad when an insect he swallowed tries to escape) and pop-culture references (I spotted nods to James Bond, Superman, The Fly, Batman, Lady and the Tramp, Finding Nemo and Mary Poppins, among others), and it playfully mocks horror-movie clichés, as well (the old fisherman who takes Roddy to the docks where Rita can be found speaks into a bottle to make his voice echo).
Much of it is also quite funny, which shouldn't be much of a surprise; Tracey Ullman was one of the creative consultants, and the screenplay was co-written by Peter Lord, who co-directed Aardman's 2000 hit "Chicken Run."
Flushed Away, the new feature from Aardman Animations (the animation studio that also produced Chicken Run and the ingenious Wallace & Gromit films) revels in its British-ness â itâs full of bone-dry wit, football references, and ribs on the French â and I was hooked from the first shot of Tower Bridge.
Aardman does goofy Claymation wit, DreamWorks does shiny blockbuster computer-generated imagery, and when the two collaborated on "Chicken Run" and "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," the big behemoth generally let the little guys alone.
Like other films produced by DreamWorks and Aardman Animation (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), Flushed Away is loaded with groan-worthy puns ("Pardon me, my fly's undone," says The Toad when an insect he swallowed tries to escape) and pop-culture references (I spotted nods to James Bond, Superman, The Fly, Batman, Lady and the Tramp, Finding Nemo and Mary Poppins, among others), and it playfully mocks horror-movie clichés, as well (the old fisherman who takes Roddy to the docks where Rita can be found speaks into a bottle to make his voice echo).
Sharp-eyed viewers should watch for parodies of and winking nods to earlier Aardman works, as well as "The Lion King," "Lady and the Tramp" and other animated classics.
Kids will recognize throwaway homages to Lady and the Tramp and Finding Nemo , while grownups may blink at the sight of a cockroach reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
As another critic once remarked about Shark Tale, this movie has lots and lots of plot, and lots of gags to go with each new plot twist, but it's difficult at times to figure out what the story is.
Much like 2004’s Shark Tale, Flushed Away has too many references that kids simply won’t get, including tips of the hat to old school Batman and singer Tom Jones.
Last year's Curse of the Were-Rabbit was one of this critic's favorite films, but the folks at Aardman seem to have aligned themselves with a project more on par with Shark Tale when it comes to creativity and uniqueness this time around.
, the Hollywood studio behind "Shrek," "Shark Tale," and "Madagascar."
It’s akin to the undersea Times Square of Shark Tale , except that Shark Tale, while it obviously had real fish, lacked the fish-out-of-water dynamic that Roddy provides.
Like other films produced by DreamWorks and Aardman Animation (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), Flushed Away is loaded with groan-worthy puns ("Pardon me, my fly's undone," says The Toad when an insect he swallowed tries to escape) and pop-culture references (I spotted nods to James Bond, Superman, The Fly, Batman, Lady and the Tramp, Finding Nemo and Mary Poppins, among others), and it playfully mocks horror-movie clichés, as well (the old fisherman who takes Roddy to the docks where Rita can be found speaks into a bottle to make his voice echo).
Almost everyone, however, will get the Finding Nemo reference ("Have you seen my dad?"), and it's innocuous enough that Disney shouldn't be annoyed.
Kids will recognize throwaway homages to Lady and the Tramp and Finding Nemo , while grownups may blink at the sight of a cockroach reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
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Like other films produced by DreamWorks and Aardman Animation (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), Flushed Away is loaded with groan-worthy puns ("Pardon me, my fly's undone," says The Toad when an insect he swallowed tries to escape) and pop-culture references (I spotted nods to James Bond, Superman, The Fly, Batman, Lady and the Tramp, Finding Nemo and Mary Poppins, among others), and it playfully mocks horror-movie clichés, as well (the old fisherman who takes Roddy to the docks where Rita can be found speaks into a bottle to make his voice echo).
Granted, codirectors David Bowers and Sam Fell, both of who share story credit with two of the film's five credited screenwriters, are debuting directors, but Aardman's Nick Park scored two Oscar nominations and one win for his first two shorts back in 1989 ("A Grand Day Out," Wallace and Gromit's introduction, and "Creature Comforts").
Granted, codirectors David Bowers and Sam Fell, both of who share story credit with two of the film's five credited screenwriters, are debuting directors, but Aardman's Nick Park scored two Oscar nominations and one win for his first two shorts back in 1989 ("A Grand Day Out," Wallace and Gromit's introduction, and "Creature Comforts").
With that dull ouch, hopes for a brisk, tailed cousin of “The Third Man” vanish.
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Sharp-eyed viewers should watch for parodies of and winking nods to earlier Aardman works, as well as "The Lion King," "Lady and the Tramp" and other animated classics.
It's another inspired element of "Flushed Away" to create scenes that duplicate and even enhance set pieces that are staples of real-life actioners (such as the "Mission: Impossible" franchise).