As the slew of animated films released through 2006 finally starts to wind down (November 17th's Happy Feet is the last cartoon we're getting this year), it's at least nice enough that the genre has a chance of going out on a high note. After such uninspiring and derivative films like Open Season and The Ant Bully, Flushed Away comes across as a breath of fresh air for animation fans. Inventive, often very funny and downright joyous, this movie has an insane kinetic energy and life to it that really makes it stand out from its competition. Here is a cartoon smart enough that adults can enjoy it on a different level than kids. With so many animated films this year playing strictly to the younger set, that's something that simply cannot be ignored.

The story centers on a snobby pet rat named Roddy (voice by Hugh Jackman), who enjoys a life of wealth and privilege in his upper class London home. When Roddy's human owners leave for vacation, he sneaks out of his golden cage, and prepares to enjoy having the run of the entire house while they're gone. His joy does not last long when a mangy sewer rat named Sid (Shane Richie) arrives via the kitchen sink after being shot up through the pipes. Sid immediately makes himself at home, and when Roddy tries to get rid of the unwelcome visitor by flushing Sid down the toilet (he tells him it's a Jacuzzi), his plan backfires, and he himself winds up getting flushed down to the sewers below. Now lost in a strange subterranean city that exists beneath the streets of London, Roddy has no choice but to befriend a tomboyish and tough talking rat who has access to a boat named Rita (Kate Winslet) if he ever wants to see his posh home again. Unfortunately, Rita has problems of her own, as she has been targeted by an evil Toad (Ian McKellan) and his crew of rat henchmen and kung-fu French frogs. During his many adventures, Roddy will learn the value of friendship, and to trust others.

Produced by Aardman animation studios (whose previous films include Chicken Run, and last year's Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), Flushed Away is a major departure for the studio in that the film is completely animated with computers, rather than the stop motion clay figures that were used in earlier efforts. Fans of Aardman's past works need not fear, as despite the change in technology, the film manages to perfectly capture the look and feel that the studio is known for. The characters have been designed in the trademark visual style of oversized teeth and goofy yet expressful round eyes that is instantly recognizable. Those expecting another Wallace and Gromit may be somewhat disappointed, however. This movie is much more fast paced, action-heavy, filled with some clever pop culture gags (There's a very funny nod to Hugh Jackman's role as Wolverine in the X-Men films very early in the movie.), and also contains a pop soundtrack with tunes by artists like Billy Idol and Tom Jones. The thing that separates Flushed Away from inferior films that relied on the same methods is that directors David Bowers and Sam Fell know how to use these aspects without making them annoying. For once, the pop culture references are actually funny and clever, and the song selections are well chosen and add to the action instead of becoming a distraction. The way that many of the songs are fit into the movie (mostly provided by a chorus of singing slugs who keep on popping up) is clever and guaranteed to make both kids and adults burst out laughing with each appearance.

Best of all, the dialogue in Flushed Away is quite frequently funny and clever. (Always a big plus when it comes to comedy, I say.) The jokes are fast-paced and come flying sometimes one after another that the film may require more than one viewing in order to catch them all. There's plenty of visual gags, witty one-liners and even some jokes that will most likely fly completely over the heads of kids. The film's bright and vibrant animation is more than a match to keep up with it all. While it's not the best looking animated film to come out this year (the lip movements of the characters sometimes seems clunky and off), it does have a pleasant look and there's even some inventiveness, such as the design of the underground city, and the fact that the evil Toad's henchmen all ride around on vehicles that are made out of modified household appliances like egg beaters and toasters. There are even some clever set pieces, such as the sequence where Rita brings Roddy to her home to meet her large family who all live in a house that is constantly rocking back and forth, forever in danger of toppling over. The animators are able to create some very clever visual gags just from the design of the house alone, which certainly shows the amount of thought that went into the design of this movie's world. What is perhaps most refreshing is that for a movie with a plot that gets its start with a toilet, there is very little if any bathroom humor to be found throughout. Yes, there's the required joke about a candy bar being mistaken for something you'd commonly find in a toilet, but that can be forgiven.

Beyond the witty script and inventive design, it is the voice cast that really help the characters and the world they inhabit come to life. Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet make a likeable odd couple pairing, with Jackman portraying the up tight individual and Winslet as the free-spirited adventurer with a kind heart. In supporting roles, the film has rounded up a strong cast of character actors such as Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis and Jean Reno. All of them seem to be having a ball in their respective roles, especially Reno as a French frog hitman who hunts down the heroes late in the film. The standout performance belongs to Ian McKellan who is obviously having the time of his life as the film's main villain. He bellows and rages with an overly dramatic and almost operatic quality, making him a character who is threatening enough to be a villain, but goofy and over the top enough so that he will not frighten young children in the audience. And then there are the previously mentioned singing slugs, who provide most of the songs on the soundtrack, and will probably become the characters that viewers most remember when looking back on the movie. The film knows how to use them so that the joke never gets old, nor do they ever become annoying.

While Flushed Away may not be the all-out charmer that Wallace and Gromit was last year, it's still unique enough to stand out in a sea of so many animated films that rely too heavily on past successful formulas for inspiration. It's breezy, it's inoffensive, and adults will have just as much fun watching it as the kids are likely to. With the winning Over the Hedge and now this, Dreamworks' animation studio may be turning over a new leaf, and could possibly gain some success outside of the overrated Shrek franchise. If anything, Flushed Away proves that there are still some studios out there who are willing to make a quality animated film, rather than just rushing one out in order to strike while the iron is hot. As a life-long fan of animation, I can only hope more studios will follow the example of Aardman.

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