REEL CRITIC:’Flushed Away’ is clever and funny

With a title like “Flushed Away,” one would expect this animated film to be full of potty humor. But aside from the London sewer setting and the toilet-inspired climactic scene (I won’t spoil it for you), there’s only a few gratuitous belches and gross jokes. That’s saying a lot in today’s world of kids’ talking-animal movies. Maybe my expectations have finally been beaten down to the ground, but, overall, this film was clever, funny and different.

This is Aardman Entertainment’s first foray into full computer-generated animation and it seems like they feel liberated by it. They apparently chose computer-generated animation in order to realistically create animated water, notoriously difficult using stop-motion.

“Flushed Away” does lack the unique charm of its claymation “Wallace & Grommit” masterpieces, but it has all of the witty quirkiness. The characters, even the ones in the background, display their thoughts and feelings so amusingly on those bug-eyed, big-toothed faces. But now, thanks, perhaps, to the computer, or to co-producer DreamWorks, there’s a higher energy level than in prior films. My kids said it was “better than they thought it would be” and “never boring.”

I loved the slugs that would periodically pop up to lip-sync a sound effect or sing a song. The producers could have chosen songs that are a little more current (everything was from the 1950s to ‘70s) or even actually paid a songwriter to write musical numbers. Still they were a crack-up. And I really loved the smart, strong, independent female-lead rat voiced adorably by Kate Winslet.

Hugh Jackman was good, too, as the uptown rat who suddenly finds himself in a very dirty, scary place. It’s the same hero’s journey story that’s been told a hundred times (hero finds himself in strange world, hero must depend on another slightly annoying creature to help him find home/loved one, hero must choose between new and old life); but it’s what happens on the journey that makes or breaks a movie. It’s all in the details. In this case, the creatures he meets, the places he goes, the choices he makes are funny and heartwarming.

There are also ridiculous French frogs, a thrilling speed-boat scene, a nutty overpopulated rat family, and gag on top of gag to keep you chuckling.

This is action, adventure, and romance, all wrapped up in British whimsy seasoned with American saltiness.

Check it out.