Flushed Away appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. No problems marred this appealing presentation.
Sharpness seemed positive, as at all times, the movie remained detailed and concise. No examples of softness or ill-defined images appeared in this tight and firm presentation.
Jagged edges and moiré effects appeared absent, and I noticed no signs of edge enhancement. In regard to print flaws, I witnessed none, as the movie looked clean and fresh from start to finish.
Overall, the movie opted for a fairly natural palette without any clear dominant hues. I thought the tones seemed attractive and the colors consistently looked solid.
Black levels looked solid, with appropriately dark and rich material. Low-light images were concisely displayed and tight, with no excessive opacity. Overall, Flushed gave us a stellar presentation.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Flushed also seemed strong. As one might anticipate, action scenes offered the most involving soundscape. These created a nice sense of location, as elements of the setting formed around us.
Other scenes offered solid pep and made positive use of the various speakers. General ambience was also fine in the quieter sequences.
Audio quality worked well. Speech was natural and distinctive, and effects sounded clear and accurate.
Bass response provided good punch to louder scenes, and music was always vivid and lively. This was a solid “B+” soundtrack.
We find a handful of extras here, and we begin with an audio commentary from directors David Bowers and Sam Fell. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story and characters, design and animation, cast and performances, influences, and related domains.
Overall, this becomes a quality commentary. Bowers and Fell keep matters light and lively as they cover a nice array of movie topics. Expect a brisk, involving track.
Two Slug Songs appear: “Don’t Feel Like Dancing” (0:26) and “Pump It” (0:38). Both show the movie’s slug characters as they play the songs in question. They’re cute, I guess.
The Music of Flushed Away runs eight minutes, 56 seconds and offers notes from Bowers, Fell, and composer Harry Gregson-Williams. We learn about songs and Gregson-Williams’ score in this mildly informative chat.
Finally, Meet the Cast spans eight minutes, 43 seconds and provides comments from Fell, Bowers, producers Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Cecil Kramer, and actors Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy, Shane Richie and Andy Serkis.
“Meet” looks at cast, characters and performances. Like “Music”, it becomes enjoyable, albeit a bit superficial.
While it comes with a moderate level of fun, Flushed Away falls short of the usual highs we expect from Aardman. This means we get a moderately enjoyable experience but not one with the expected cleverness or charm. The Blu-ray brings very good picture and audio as well as a handful of bonus materials. Flushed Away winds up as a decent diversion but not anything special.