Run time: 85 mins

Aardman’s gloriously inventive animated adventure returns to cinemas, proving its rapid-fire humour and infectious charm have lost none of their appeal.

Pampered pet mouse Roddy (Hugh Jackman) enjoys a comfortable life in a luxury London home until an unwelcome visitor, sewer rat Sid (Shane Richie), literally flushes him into the sprawling underground world beneath the city. There he teams up with resourceful scavenger Rita (Kate Winslet), only to find themselves pursued by the villainous Toad (Ian McKellen), whose grand plan threatens everyone living below the streets. With henchmen, hired muscle and plenty of unlikely allies in pursuit, the pair embark on a fast-moving race back to safety.

Although computer animated, the film cleverly preserves Aardman’s distinctive stop-motion style, filling every frame with visual invention and unmistakably British wit. The voice cast embraces the playful script, with Jackman and Winslet making an engaging partnership, while McKellen clearly relishes every moment as the deliciously theatrical Toad. The lovingly recreated underground London is packed with clever sight gags, background jokes and affectionate nods to British culture that reward repeat viewings.

Nearly two decades on, this is a lovely reminder of just how funny family animation can be, delivering laughs for children and adults in almost every scene.