A bunch of mice running around a sewer does not sound like the most interesting of concepts.

But “Flushed Away” does a great job of keeping things interesting and engaging. Roddy (Hugh Jackman) is a spoiled pet mouse that has been left alone while his family goes on holiday. The action begins after he gets flushed down the toilet by a sewer mouse that has managed to get into the house.

This animated film relies heavily on sight gags, and many times makes the same joke twice — but for some reason it is still funny. An evil Toad (Ian McKellen) and his cronies Le Frog (Jean Reno), Whitey (Bill Nighy) and Spike (Andy Serkis) continually complicate Roddy’s trip home. Even with the help of Rita (Kate Winslet), a sewer smart sailor.

Although clearly a children’s movie, it keeps adults’ attention with its sometimes crass humor.

One of the funniest moments in the movie shows a cockroach reading Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” This is another movie in the long list of animated talking-animal movies, but it does a great job of standing out. Created by the same company that did “Shrek” and “Wallace and Gromit,” American humor blends with the dryness and subtly of British humor.

Throughout the movie there are numerous references to other movies such as “Wallace and Gromit,” “James Bond” and “Finding Nemo,” which give the audience something to look for. Many of the jokes come from picking on England’s propensity to miss penalty kicks in important situations and making fun of the stereotype that France is known for surrendering. As with all good family movies, this movie puts forth a message — family and friends are the most important thing in life, which is funny to see play out in a species that tend to have hundreds of offspring.

Enjoy this movie. Forget about being composed; be amused by the absurd and immature humor.