Review of Flushed Away (2006) by Christopherw. — 20 Feb 2007

I have not been remarkably impressed by any animated film since 'The Incredibles.' 'Cars' was good, but certainly the weakest entry from the highly regarded studio Pixar. I suppose it was too much to hope that Pixar would set a standard by which all other animation studios would seek to meet.

This British/American hybrid has moments of wit and rib tickling humor, but as a whole, the plot just sort of meanders about aimlessly. Aspects of the story are quite original, but we have seen all of these characters before in other incarnations.

The trend in animated films is moving ever so intentionally to an uncomfortable mishmash of potty humor and unintrusive unmemorable characterizations directed solely at young children. We get PG rated content that is neither completely appropriate for small children, and not at all satisfying or meaningful for adults.

Is it any wonder that so many of these kind of films see tepid box office returns? 'Flushed Away' may be a slight step above most other recent films from this genre, but it could very well prove to be a disappointment nonetheless.