大象传媒

Aardman Animation's first attempt at a CGI feature arrives in a market already clogged with characterless computer-animated critters. The tale of Roddy (Hugh Jackman), a Kensington house-mouse accidentally flushed into the verminous London underworld, is expertly rendered and packed with detail, as one would expect from the Bristol whizzkids. However, somewhere in the transition between plasticene and pixels, Aardman's uniquely gentle charm has disappeared. What remains is a frantic, deadening affair that's easy to admire but hard to love.

Roddy is an ineffectual hero. Accustomed to a life of lonely leisure behind bars, he is completely unprepared for the rough and tumble of life in the sewer. The underworld of Flushed Away is a busy place, two parts Eastenders to one part Guy Ritchie, with familiar landmarks cleverly constructed from garbage. Luckily for Roddy, he soon hooks up with a reluctant guide, a hippy rat voiced by Kate Winslet. Together, they have to defeat Ian McKellen's splendidly hammy toad villain and his coterie of kung fu frogs (all French, naturally).

"SOMEHOW HEARTLESS"

From this point, the movie is basically one big chase, occasionally interrupted by outbursts of mild scatological humour . There are some uniquely Aardmanesque touches - a Greek chorus of singing slugs is a highlight - but Flushed Away feels heartless somehow. Perhaps because Aardman's creative supremo Nick Park isn't involved this time, or possibly thanks to the involvement of US giant Dreamworks, the film reads like an attempt to emulate the brash Looney Tunes energy of American toons like Shark Tale and Shrek. It's all perfectly professional, and the kids will love it, but grown-ups might find themselves missing Wallace and Gromit.

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