Flushed Away (2006)

The story of an uptown rat that gets flushed down the toilet from his penthouse apartment, ending in the sewers of London, where he has to learn a whole new and different way of life.

Directors:

David Bowers, Sam Fell

Writers:

Dick Clement (screenplay by), Ian La Frenais (screenplay by)

Stars:

Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Jackman	...	Roddy (voice)
Kate Winslet	...	Rita (voice)
Ian McKellen	...	The Toad (voice)
Jean Reno	...	Le Frog (voice)
Bill Nighy	...	Whitey (voice)
Andy Serkis	...	Spike (voice)
Shane Richie	...	Sid (voice)
Kathy Burke	...	Rita's Mum (voice)
David Suchet	...	Rita's Dad (voice)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Rita's Grandma (voice)
Rachel Rawlinson	...	Tabitha (voice)
Susan Duerden	...	Mother (voice)
Miles Richardson	...	Father (voice)
John Motson	...	Football Commentator (voice)
Douglas Weston	...	Newspaper Seller (voice)

Storyline

Roddy is a decidedly upper-crust "society mouse" who lives the life of a beloved pet in a posh Kensington flat. When a sewer rat named Sid comes spewing out of the sink and decides he's hit the jackpot, Roddy schemes to rid himself of the pest by luring him into the "whirlpool." Sid may be an ignorant slob, but he's no fool, so it is Roddy who winds up being flushed away into the bustling sewer world of Ratropolis. There Roddy meets Rita, an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful boat, the Jammy Dodger. Roddy immediately wants out, or rather, up; Rita wants to be paid for her trouble; and, speaking of trouble, the villainous Toad - who royally despises all rodents equally, making no distinction between mice and rats--wants them iced... literally. The Toad dispatches his two hapless hench-rats, Spike and Whitey, to get the job done. When they fail, the Toad has no choice but to send to France for his cousin - that dreaded mercenary, Le Frog.

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Plot Keywords:

feet | taking off shoes | someone in socks | sock | toes | 

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Taglines:

Someone's Going Down

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for crude humor and some language

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ratropolis

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$149,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,814,323, 5 November 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$64,665,672

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$178,120,010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aardman Animations, DreamWorks Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the part when Sid (Shane Richie) and Roddy (Hugh Jackman) are looking into the toilet for the first time, you can see above the lever is a plaque that says "Jacuzzi". So, technically, Sid was going to jump into a "jacuzzi".

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Goofs

The doll that Sid throws up in the air changes position several times after he discovers Roddy and Rita. It goes from being at his feet to being near the door to being several inches away from the door when he leaves the room.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mother: Car's here.
Father: It's nine o' clock already, we're going to miss our flight.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, slugs crawl on and off screen, interacting with the credit text.

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Alternate Versions

Distributors choose to remove mild language from the film after an advice viewing from the BBFC suggested that it would not be acceptable for a U rating. As a result, words such as "bloody" and "bugger" were replaced with "blinkin'" and "bother". After the changes had been made, the BBFC passed the film with a U rating.

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Connections

References Kim Possible (2002)

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Soundtracks

Rule Britannia
Composed by Thomas Augustine Arne from the poem by James Thomson
Performed by John Venzon

User Reviews

Fun movie, just leave the Ritalin at home.

I have to admit that I went into this movie with the mixed expectations. I'm haven't been especially impressed with Dreamworks animations, minus "Over the Hedge" which I think is their first film that stands on its own two feet without relying on the popularity of previous animations or pop-culture references.

But enough on that, Flush Away was an enjoyable romp of animation. My only real complaint, is the pacing. The entire thing feels a roller coaster that you ride upside down -- with rotating seats. (Perhaps a contraption Aardman would come up with). The gags are amusing and some are very funny, but I need some breathing/laughing time between them.

Yet if your brain can handle the onslaught of information, you will be able to appreciate the extraordinary amount of creativity in terms of visuals and attention to detail. There's also plenty of adult innuendo and witty jabs at Europeans and Americans alike. Katzenburg's philosophy of making movies "for adults, and the adult in every child." is very evident here. The kids were rolling in the theater with all the slapstick, and the savvy adults had their own laugh track.

In this sense, the film is a success minus the ridiculous pacing. It's worth a look, just leave the Ritalin at home.