Writer: Mindy Chong

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Watch this if you liked: "An American Tail", "Shrek", "A Shark Tale"

In year 2006 itself, many have viewed various kinds of animation with their unique characters and storyline. From settings taking place in the wild jungle to a chicken farm, animation movie creators and producers have continuously searched for new ways to entertain movie-goers, both young and old. While most animations lack the ability to sustain the level of interest towards animation or to level up to the expectation, out comes "Flushed Away" in which the first thought that comes to mind would be the lavatory.

While the title might sound interesting, one might wonder how interesting a story about lavatories would get. From the creator of "Shrek" and "Madagascar", "Flushed Away" tells the story of an upper-class pet mouse, Roddy who lives an enjoyable life, or so he thinks, in a posh Kensington flat. The table is turned when a sewer rat named Sid comes spewing out of the sink and decides to permanently take over his 'grand' life. Roddy winds up being flushed away into the bustling sewer world of Ratropolis, where rodents of all kinds roam. There, he meets Rita, an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful boat, the Jammy Dodger.

An animated story would not be complete without a villain and what could spell more trouble than the huge and disgusting, royal Toad with his two hapless hench-rats, Spikey and Whitey. With the help of his cousin who happens to be a dreaded mercenary, Le Frog, they tirelessly hunt down Roddy and Rita with the plan to destroy all rodents and raise their own kind.

Just like a combination of Yorkshire pudding and French-made frangipane, the English-French humor of this movie is simply delightful. Although the movie's storyline and ending is predictable, the songs (sung by the barnacles) is quite entertaining and witty. One of the songs includes the all-too familiar sad and weepy Lonely, originally sung by Akon.

With voice castings by famous celebrities such as Hugh Jackman ("The Prestige"), Kate Winslet ("All The King's Men") and Jean Reno ("The Da Vinci Code"), one might be surprised at how they manage to draw out such a unique performance for the animation. Known for their versatile yet often serious role-playing, they have successfully brought out the characters' emotions and unique characteristics.

All-in-all, this movie is rated an average grade but unfortunately, it can also be quite forgettable. The catchy title may linger in the mind but the movie as a whole lacks the ability to create an impact or become one of the more talked-about animations on the silver screen. Thus, for animation lovers and for movie-goers in search of a feel good movie, sit tight and feel yourself being flushed away to a dark and unknown territory.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008