From Clay To CG

Last updated: 12/03/2007 - 14:17

From DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features - the teams behind global ‘claymation’ hit Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, comes computer-animated comedy Flushed Away, on DVD.

Flushed Away uses a subtle blending of Aardman’s trademark style and characterizations with DreamWorks’ state-of-the-art computer animation to create a madcap comedy set on and beneath the streets of London.

Roddy is a decidedly upper-crust ‘society mouse’ who lives the life of a pampered pet in a posh Kensington flat, complete with two hamster butlers named Gilbert and Sullivan. When a common sewer rat named Syd comes spewing out of the sink and decides he’s hit the jackpot, Roddy schemes to rid himself of the pest by luring him into the ‘whirlpool’.

Ignorant Slob

Syd may be an ignorant slob, but he’s no fool, so it is Roddy who winds up being flushed away into the bustling sewer world of ‘Ratropolis’. There Roddy meets Rita, an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful boat, the Jammy Dodger. Roddy immediately wants out, or rather, up; Rita wants to be paid for her trouble; and, speaking of trouble, the villainous Toad - who royally despises all rodents - wants them iced…literally.

The Toad dispatches his two hapless hench-rats, Spike and Whitey, to get the job done. When they fail, the Toad has no choice but to send to France for his cousin—that dreaded mercenary, Le Frog – voiced by Jean Reno (Nikita, Leon, Ronin, The Big Blue).

Here’ what some of the critics have had to say about the previews and overseas screenings of Flushed Away:

“Great British giggles, Aardman strike the funny bone again.” – Total Film magazine

“Sound effects and music play key roles in the comedy...Song cues drift in from singing slugs. These colourful, tiny, blob-like creatures burst into pop songs that comment deliciously on the action, joining in with Roddy at one point in serenading Rita. They come very close to stealing the picture from the rodent heroes...all the characters are brilliantly conceived both in terms of their physical form and their strong personalities, from which rich comedy is developed by writers Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan and Will Davies.” – Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

“Far and away the best animated movie of the year.” – Empire magazine.

Hugh Jackman

Flushed Away stars the voices of Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman (Broadway’s The Boy From Oz and Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise) as Roddy; four-time Oscar nominee Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Iris, Titanic, Sense and Sensibility, The Life of David Gale) as Rita; two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gods and Monsters) as the Toad; Andy Serkis (King Kong, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Still Crazy, The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to The Galaxy) as Spike and Whitey; Shane Richie (Shoreditch, BBCTVs Eastenders) as Syd; Geoffrey Palmer (2003’s version of Peter Pan) and Simon Callow (The Phantom of the Opera) as Gilbert and Sullivan; and Jean Reno (The Tiger and the Snow, Ronin, Leon) as 'Le Frog'.

Flushed Away is directed by Sam Fell and David Bowers, and produced by Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Cecil Kramer.

Flushed Away is out on DVD in April. Extras include: a slug musical featurette, one on the music of Flushed Away, a filmmaker commentary, a 'Meet the Cast' featurette, 'Dreamworks kids' - a variety of fun-filled, engaging interactive games and creative activities just for kids, including:
'Super Slug Stuff' - fun with the all-squealing, all-singing, show-stealing slugs.

Flushed Away on DVD is out 2 April - available to pre-order now - with a 'U' certificate on 2 AprilFor more information visit the official 'site: www.flushedaway.com

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