Watch Video Review
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that kids will definitely want to see this animated adventure from the folks behind Wallace and Gromit. Not surprisingly, considering the title, it's got lots of potty humor: The storyline revolves around a rat being flushed down a toilet into a sewer, and there are references to human waste, including one scene in which a character appears to grab a piece of excrement. Lots of cartoon violence, too: Characters fall from high places and are shot at, chased, frozen, electrocuted, yelled at, and threatened. Toad is an evil villain, and Sid is a disgusting character who belches, farts, and is generally crude. On the other hand, Rita is an independent girl who can fend for herself.
Families can talk about whether Sid should have flushed Roddy down the toilet. Was that the right thing to do? Was there an alternative solution? How did Roddy make the best of the situation once he was in Ratropolis? Was Rita right when she tried to abandon Roddy when he needed her most? Is a large piece of jewelry worth fighting over?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jane Boursaw
FLUSHED AWAY tells the story of a snobby rat named Roddy (voiced by Hugh Jackman) who's living a cushy life in a London flat. His fancy cage is decked out with all of life's necessities, and when the flat's human residents are away, Roddy and his servant-rats live high on the hog.
Sid (Shane Richie) is the exact opposite of Roddy. He's a low-life sewer rat who ends up in Roddy's flat by way of the faucet. Once he gets a taste of luxury, he's not too keen about going back to the sewer. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, Roddy's headed to the town of Ratropolis (the sewers), and Sid is kicking back in the penthouse with a big-screen TV and remote control.
Below the city, Roddy finds a colorful world teeming with assorted creatures, including Rita (Kate Winslet), an entrepreneurial rat who squeaks out a living in the sewers with her trawler. All Roddy wants is to get back home, but first he and Rita have to contend with the malicious Toad (Ian McKellen). Toad hates rodents and decides to "flush out" the sewers, dispatching hench-rats Spike and Whitey (Andy Serkis and Bill Nighy) to do the job. When they fail, Toad calls in his cousin, the villainous Le Frog (Jean Reno), who's like a rodent version of Jabba the Hutt.
If you can get past Flushed Away's crude humor, it has an imaginative storyline and amusing characters, including funny little slugs who are easily frightened (they're classic Aardman Animations characters -- the folks behind Wallace and Gromit and Creature Comforts). There's also a message: It's a big world out there, if you're willing to venture out of your comfort zone and experience it.
Families who enjoy this movie will also like Shrek, Chicken Run, and Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentRoddy accidentally kisses a bride-rat on her wedding day. Females wear tight outfits and shake their behinds. Roddy accidentally pulls down Rita's pants, revealing underwear. Innuendoes between Toad and Rita. References to Roddy being Rita's boyfriend. |
 |
|
|
|
ViolenceRoddy takes a wild ride down the toilet, gulping for air (he can't swim). He and Rita flee in her boat from villains while being shot at and threatened. A character gets "zapped" when the toaster he's riding falls into the water. A character falls and lands on a block of cement. Assorted scenes with characters being shot, threatened, yelled at, and electrocuted. |
 |
|
|
|
Language"Get stuffed," "load of old rubbish," "you idiots!" |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorSid flushes Roddy down the toilet. Toad hates rodents and wants to flush them out of the sewer (i.e. kill them). Scenes of farting, belching, name-calling, and general rudeness. Rita threatens to abandon Roddy in his hour of need. Toad will do anything to steal a precious jewel belonging to Rita. Reference to "screaming like a girl." Decent message about expanding your horizons and living life to the fullest. |
 |
|
 |
|
CommercialismEverything in the sewer is cobbled together with assorted parts from name-brand appliances and everything else under the sun. |
|
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
|
|
