|
directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell; (2006) Reviewed by Film Rating: 
I normally avoid British humor, but I've always been partial to the Aardman films. They don't have that stuffy "aren't we smashingly funny" attitude that I feel pervades certain British comedies. After I watched the Wallace and Gromit shorts, I wanted to see The Curse of the Wererabbit. And after I was pleasantly surprised by that one, I had to see Flushed Away. Yes, I know Pixar is also coming out with a rat film, and I don't care who ripped off who. Flushed Away is a mixed review from me, albeit mostly positive. It has a sturdy plotline. I won't say it's a spectacular plot--it's conventional--but still, few recent films have bothered this much with story. This film was cute. It had a classic hero, a classic heroine, a classic villain, and some adorable slugs. The inciting incident came early, the hero had inner conflict and flaws, and it wrapped up in a classic romantic climax and resolution. If I'm making it sound formulaic, it was, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's something to be said for successful formulas. I think that if this movie had come out after a slew of the same formulas, it would seem tired and cliche, but it's coming out at a good time, when audiences might hunger for something different from the rest of this year's crop of non-linear stories. If the film suffers from anything, it's uninspired gags. A lot of the humor relies on pain. That gets old, and I suspect that even today's kids are sick of watching guys get smacked in the crotch. Also, some of the gags are repeated too many times. Another problem is the even pacing. The story hits plot point after plot point, and I could almost see the plot chart. I wish they'd sacrificed an action sequence or two to spend more time on character development. But I'm not sure this criticism applies to a target audience of families. The hero lives in a golden cage and has every toy he could wish for, but no family or friends. I like that idea. And the heroine is an ass-kicking beauty with some actual character flaws to give her a personality, which is refreshing. So many female characters fall into stereotypes, or they're portrayed as being flawless. The villain and his henchmen are really the funniest parts of the film. Go see it!
|
