You've got to give Aardman Animation credit: even their lesser works are pretty darn entertaining. Most animation fans should be familiar with Wallace and Gromit, the studio's most famous creations, while films like Chicken Run have earned the studio plenty of acclaim as well. As the undisputed champion of plasticine animation, Aardman has brought plenty of colorful worlds to life in great detail, combining a distinctly British charm with clever visual gags and sharp dialogue.

Dave Bowers and Sam Fell's Flushed Away (2006) marks a slight detour in Aardman's successful path; but as mentioned earlier, it's still pretty darn entertaining. Die-hard fans of the studio were initially disappointed, after learning that the studio would be pushing some of the plasticine aside for a more computer-heavy environment. To be honest, though, Flushed Away has a few minor problems, but none of them are visual. This joint project with Dreamworks Animation doesn't always fire on all cylinders, but it's extremely difficult not to enjoy the sights along the way.

Flushed Away, for the most part, is a simply character study touching on different social classes and stereotypes. Our male lead is Roddy St. James (voiced by Hugh Jackman), a financially secure English rat with a fancy cage and plenty of food...but no real friends. While the family is away on holiday, Roddy's home is invaded by Sid (Shane Richie), a sewer rat that accidentally gets in through the plumbing. Needless to say, Sid enjoys his new surroundings.

Unable to get rid of his new houseguest, Roddy is unwittingly "flushed away" by Sid and ends up in the sewers below. To his surprise, there's an entire new world below, full of colorful characters that don't believe he's from "Up Top". One of these folks is Rita (Kate Winslet), a tough and adventurous rat who's on the run after swiping a valuable item from The Toad (Ian McKellan), the resident crime lord. Of course, Roddy and Rita quickly learn that they've got to work together: he needs to get home, while she just needs to escape...and preferably, with some money to feed her poor family.

It's not a completely original story by any means, but Flushed Away manages to entertain with colorful characters and clever---or in some cases, obvious---dialogue, not to mention first-rate animation. The story can't help but hit a few snags along the way, though; it's oddly paced and feels stretched in many areas, even though it's barely 75 minutes before the credits roll. Those looking for a worthy successor to Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit may walk away disappointed, even though it offers a few laughs and surprises along the way. Though a surprising portion of the humor was a bit on the corny side---at least for an Aardman project, of course---younger audiences should enjoy the ride.

The voice acting is solid all around, from Jackman and Winslet's heroic roles to Ian McKellan's devilishly over-the-top performance as The Toad. Honorable mention also goes to Andy Serkis as scheming henchrat Spike Leslie and Jean Reno as Le Frog, The Toad's French cousin. Additionally, a number of clever sight gags and nods to other films and characters---from Star Wars to Marcel Marceau---remind us that Flushed Away was created by folks that simply love movies. Even with a few minor quibbles along the way, it's a fairly satisfying adventure that the whole family should enjoy.

Presented on DVD by Dreamworks Home Entertainment, Flushed Away should please those who enjoyed it theatrically. The technical presentation proves to be first-rate, yet the bonus features aren't quite at the level of most mainstream animated films. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for widescreen displays, Flushed Away looks as good as you'd expect. The color palette is strong from start to finish, black levels appear solid and no major digital problems were spotted along the way. Overall, this is easily on par with Dreamworks' past releases, including Over the Hedge, the Shrek series and Madagascar, so fans should certainly be pleased.

The audio treatment is almost as impressive, presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround (English or French) and 2.0 Surround (English or Spanish). Though everything seems to have been mixed a bit on the quiet side, there's a good dynamic range and the rear speakers are occasionally put to good use. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout, while it never seems to fight for attention with the frequent musical cues. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are included during the main feature and most of the extras.

Also here are a pair of brief featurettes, including "The Music of Flushed Away" (8:51) and "Meet the Cast" (8:38, below left); both are fairly standard promotional pieces, but there's some good material scattered about (including some voice recording in the studio). It's odd that we don't get any coverage of the computer animation, visual effects and post-production, but both featurettes are worth a look.

Also tacked on are a pair of newly-produced Slug Songs, including "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" (0:22) and "Pump It" (0:33); they're cute enough, but they don't really fit in with the rest of the material in any way. Closing out this section is a series of Song Selections and Previews for other Dreamworks features, including Madagascar, Over the Hedge and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

The "Dreamworks Kids" section starts off with a selection of "Flushed Away Tunes", allowing direct access to the film's musical numbers. Also here is a pair of how-to featurettes, including "Build a Slug" (13:32, above right) with supervising animator Jason Spencer Galsworthy and "Learn to Draw Roddy" (2:14). The sculpting session looks fun, but it might prove difficult for those under age 10 or so; the second lesson is less direct, so kids may find it a bit easier to follow. Closing things out is an interactive "Maze of Pipes" game, as well as an additional round of goodies available as DVD-Rom content.

All bonus features are presented in 1.33:1 and non-anamorphic aspect ratios, while most of them include optional subtitles. It's a decent assortment of extras, but those looking for a more thorough collection may be a bit disappointed.

It's not on par with their best efforts, but Dreamworks and Aardman's Flushed Away still manages to entertain on many levels. The likeable characters don't pose much of a problem, yet certain elements of this CG world seem slightly out of place for the reigning champs of plasticine---and the slightly uneven story doesn't always fire on all cylinders, either. It's still an enjoyable ride for the most part, while Dreamworks' DVD presentation offers an adequate amount of support for the main feature. The technical presentation certainly carries its own weight, yet the majority of the bonus material seems light and formulaic. Those who enjoyed it theatrically should find this one-disc release fairly satisfying, but Flushed Away is only recommended as a blind buy to Aardman enthusiasts. Mildly Recommended.