Flushed Away follows Roddy St. James, a pampered pet mouse living in a luxury apartment, who falls down the toilet and lands in the sewers below New York City. There he meets Rita, a street-smart sewer rat, and together they hatch a plan to get back to the surface world. The film is a comedy aimed at families, and it leans heavily on slapstick, sight gags, and a cast of animal characters voiced by British actors.
The premise is simple. Roddy is a mouse raised in comfort, unaware of the dangers beneath him. Rita is the opposite: a survivor of the streets, quick-witted and resourceful. Their partnership drives the plot forward, even as the film spends more time on set pieces than character development. The two characters are the heart of the story, and their dynamic is what makes the film work despite its flaws.
Trailer, via AnimatedMoviesC.
Roddy St. James and Rita
Roddy St. James is the lead character, a young mouse who has lived his entire life in luxury. He has never left his apartment, and he has no idea what lies beyond its walls. That ignorance sets the story in motion when he accidentally falls down the toilet.
Rita, voiced by Emma Thompson, is the film’s breakout performance. She is a sewer rat who has spent her life fighting to survive, and she knows the city’s hidden world better than anyone. Her sharp wit and quick thinking make her the perfect foil for Roddy’s sheltered naivete.
“I don’t know where we’re going, but I know we’re going there.”
That line captures the spirit of their journey. They are two animals from entirely different worlds, brought together by circumstance, and forced to rely on each other to find their way home.
The Cast and Voice Work
Hugh Jackman voices Roddy St. James, and his performance carries much of the film’s warmth. Jackman brings a sense of wonder to the role, making Roddy’s discovery of the outside world feel genuine. His delivery is playful and earnest, and he sells the character’s fear and determination in equal measure.
Shrek director Andrew Adamson directs the film, and he brings a visual flair to the animation. The action sequences are energetic, and the chase scenes are particularly well choreographed. The film moves quickly, and the pacing rarely drags, though some of the middle act feels padded with filler jokes.
The Sewer World
The setting is the underground city of the sewers, a vast network of pipes, tunnels, and hidden chambers. The animation is bright and colorful, with a distinct cartoon style that separates it from the live-action world above. The sewer creatures are designed to be grotesque and funny, and they provide much of the film’s comic energy.
The film also touches on themes of class and belonging. Roddy’s sheltered life in the apartment building represents privilege, while the sewer world represents the struggle for survival. The contrast between the two spaces is central to the story, and it gives the adventure a thematic weight beyond mere slapstick. That theme runs through the entire narrative, shaping how audiences view both Roddy and Rita.
The Chase Through the Sewers
The climax of the film is a chase sequence through the city’s plumbing system. Roddy and Rita race through pipes, dodging water jets and leaping over obstacles. The animation is fluid, and the action is fast-paced. This is where the film’s technical strengths are on full display, and it remains the most memorable sequence in the movie.
The Verdict
Flushed Away is a solid, if uneven, animated comedy. It has a strong cast, a clever premise, and a few genuinely funny moments. But it also suffers from a script that relies too heavily on repetition and a middle section that drags. The film is at its best when it focuses on Roddy and Rita’s partnership, and at its weakest when it gets bogged down in side jokes and filler gags.
The film’s score is 7.4 out of 10. That reflects a movie that is competent and enjoyable, but not a masterpiece. It is a good family film, one that will entertain children and adults alike, but it will not be remembered as a classic of the genre.
Flushed Away is a pleasant, if forgettable, entry in the animated comedy canon. It has its moments, and it benefits from a strong voice cast and a visually appealing design. But it never quite reaches the heights of its contemporaries, and it feels more like a polished product than a bold statement. It is a safe, enjoyable watch, nothing more and nothing less.
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