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Our take
This is a zippy animated comedy about a posh London pet mouse who gets flushed into a sewer city and has to find his way home. The humour is quick and mostly gentle, with slapstick chases, a blustery villain who wants to wipe out the rats, and a near-flooding finish that brings a few tense beats. A handful of wink-wink adult gags and some cartoon menace sit just above the very youngest viewers, but there is no bad language or real nastiness. We land at 6 and up, with a parent nearby for the louder, scarier stretches.
Uplifting themes
Under the chases there is a warm story about valuing friends over possessions and finding where you truly belong. Teamwork and standing up for the little guy carry the day Rita is brave, resourceful, and loyal, and Roddy grows from spoiled loner into a real friend. They make a likeable, courageous pair that kids can root for
Story (may spoil tone)
London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for a madcap adventure deep in the sewer bowels of Ratropolis, where Roddy meets the resourceful Rita, the rodent-hating Toad and his faithful thugs, Spike and Whitey.
What we flagged
Details
Violence The action is cartoon slapstick, with chases, bumps, and a villain's he…
The action is cartoon slapstick, with chases, bumps, and a villain's henchmen who threaten to do away with the rats. Nobody is really hurt, and it all stays comic. There is a lot of frantic running and near-misses
Language Instead of real swearing the film leans on cheeky sewer puns and the od…
Instead of real swearing the film leans on cheeky sewer puns and the odd mild insult like you slug. It is playful and clean throughout, and kids will hear it as cartoon chatter
Sex / nudity There are a couple of wink-wink jokes aimed over kids' heads, including…
There are a couple of wink-wink jokes aimed over kids' heads, including a lingerie-counter gag and some flirty business between Roddy and Rita. It is light innuendo with nothing shown
Frightening The main toad villain and his thuggish rats are genuinely menacing in a…
The main toad villain and his thuggish rats are genuinely menacing in a cartoon way, and the sewer can feel dark and loud. A flooding climax raises the tension for little ones. It resolves happily and quickly
Bullying / discrimination The villain's whole scheme is getting rid of rats because he looks down…
The villain's whole scheme is getting rid of rats because he looks down on them, which the story clearly frames as wrong. It works as a gentle lesson about accepting others
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- Roddy starts out spoiled and alone and learns to value friends over things. Where did you see him change?
- The villain wants to get rid of everyone who is different from him. How did the sewer rats answer that?
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Flushed Away
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