Flushed Away (2006)
- Soames Inscker
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Released in 2006, Flushed Away is one of the most charming and underrated animated films of its era. Produced by Aardman Animations in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation, the film blends British humour, energetic action and inventive world-building into a lively family adventure.
Although Aardman was already famous for its stop-motion classics like Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Flushed Away marked a new step for the studio. It was their first fully computer-animated feature, yet it deliberately retained the distinctive look and comedic style that had made Aardman beloved worldwide.
The result is a fast-paced, delightfully eccentric film that feels unmistakably British.
From Luxury to the London Sewers
The story follows Roddy St James, voiced by Hugh Jackman, a pampered pet rat who lives an extremely comfortable life in a luxurious Kensington flat.
Roddy enjoys every privilege imaginable — fine food, elegant surroundings and the run of the entire apartment while his human owners are away. His perfect life is suddenly disrupted when an unpleasant sewer rat named Sid unexpectedly arrives through the sink.
When Roddy attempts to trick Sid into leaving, the plan backfires spectacularly, and Roddy himself is flushed down the toilet — landing in an enormous underground city inhabited entirely by rats beneath the streets of London.
Stranded in this strange new world, Roddy meets Rita, a tough and resourceful scavenger voiced by Kate Winslet. Together they become entangled in a chaotic adventure involving smugglers, sewer pirates and a vengeful villain known simply as The Toad.
A Villain with Theatrical Flair
One of the film’s most entertaining elements is its antagonist, The Toad, voiced with gleeful menace by Ian McKellen.
Banished from the surface world by humans, The Toad now rules the sewer underworld with theatrical arrogance. McKellen clearly relishes the role, delivering his lines with exaggerated villainy that perfectly suits the film’s comic tone.
His henchmen — including two dim-witted rats voiced by the comedy duo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant — add even more humour to the proceedings.
The villainous plot ultimately revolves around flooding the rat city itself, creating a suitably over-the-top threat for the heroes to overcome.
Aardman’s Distinctive Humour
Even though Flushed Away uses computer animation, the film still feels unmistakably like an Aardman production.
The character designs maintain the studio’s signature exaggerated expressions and clay-like textures, giving the digital animation a handcrafted feel.
More importantly, the film is packed with the witty British humour that Aardman excels at. Much of the comedy is visual, relying on quick gags, background jokes and slapstick action.
One particularly memorable running gag features a group of slugs who function like a tiny Greek chorus, enthusiastically providing musical commentary on the events of the story.
A Vibrant Underground World
The film’s setting is one of its greatest strengths.
The underground rat city is an imaginative re-creation of London using discarded human objects. Bottle caps become street signs, old cans form buildings, and entire ships are constructed from rubbish floating through the sewers.
This inventive design gives the world personality and charm, making the environment feel both believable and fantastically creative.
Directors David Bowers and Sam Fell keep the pace brisk, filling the film with chase sequences, explosions and elaborate action set-pieces.
Heart Beneath the Humour
Beneath its lively humour and action, Flushed Away also tells a simple but effective emotional story.
Roddy begins the film as a lonely character who mistakes luxury for happiness. Through his adventures with Rita, he learns the value of friendship, courage and belonging.
The film’s message about finding family and embracing life beyond comfort gives the story warmth and emotional depth.
Final Verdict
Flushed Away may not receive as much attention as some of Aardman’s other films, but it remains a wonderfully entertaining animated adventure.
With sharp humour, inventive world-building and a strong voice cast, the film delivers fun for both children and adults. Its uniquely British sensibility sets it apart from many animated films of the same period.
Fast-paced, funny and full of personality, Flushed Away is a hidden gem in the world of animated cinema.
