Over the Hedge (2006) User Reviews

An enjoyable film with a bit of everything for everyone

[DonFishies · 8/10 · 25 May 2006]

Unbeknowist to me, Over the Hedge is based on a comic strip. I've never seen it, but I can only imagine that it would be just as good as the film, if not better. And while it's not an astonishment, I can say that Hedge is genuinely enjoyable, and great fun for everyone.

R.J. (Bruce Willis) is a hungry raccoon, who just happens to make the mistake of his life when he tries to steal the huge supply of food that Vincent (Nick Nolte), a bear, has stored during his winter hibernation. Vincent is obviously upset, but he gives R.J. a week to collect all the food and everything that went with it, or he'll eat him. So as R.J. sets out, he comes across a new suburban area, filled with food and all of the things he needs. In the neighbouring forest, he finds a "family" of animals, lead by Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling). They are all searching for food as well, so R.J. helps teach them things about the human world that they are unaware of, and sets out to get the food he needs.

Of course, this is the main premise of the film, but it takes a few turns as all animated films do. And like many animated films before it, it has a great message, and is great for kids and adults. The film is packed with light laughs for children, and then the even bigger laughs for the adults. At the heart of the film, it's all basically about the effects of living/creating suburbia, and abusing consumerism. While it only touches on being satirical in this sense, it does offer the usual pop culture references, and many others too. And luckily, it was saved from the obligatory song and dance number that plagues other animated films.

The story is well written, but feels very brisk. It starts, it continues for a bit, and then it ends. It is not as short as some films, but you can't help but wonder what more could have been done if they had a little more running time. It is a much stronger film than other Dreamworks titles like Madagascar and Shark Tale, and really seems like it can stand next to the likes of Shrek 1 and 2.

The voice acting is all top-notch, from Willis' take no-nonsense raccoon, to the sadly missed Shandling as a neurotic turtle. Steve Carrell also stands out as the absolutely insane Hammy the squirrel, as does William Shatner as Ozzie the possum. As I had read before seeing the film, Shatner does an absolutely fabulous job playing possum. I couldn't stop laughing any time his character did something, it's just that great. The rest of the voice cast, from Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as parents of hedgehogs, to Wanda Sykes as a skunk, to Thomas Hayden Church as an exterminator, to Nick Nolte as Vincent the bear, all are great and well suited for their roles. They all have quite a bit of screen time, and none feel over-used at all (unlike Madagascar's blatant overuse of Ben Stiller and no one else). Of course, the random inclusion of Avril Lavinge as Shatner's daughter Heather was a little bizarre, you can see that she is at least making an attempt at voice acting here.

And as usual, the animation is excellent. While not being a total improvement from the likes of other Dreamworks films, the advancements are still very noticeable. The grass, the fur, the emotions and gestures, all of them are perfectly captured, and look gorgeous on film. All the colours are great too.

It's a funny movie, and a fabulous cast. It's one of the better animated films of the last few months.

8/10.

Surpassing all the expectations...

[jluis1984 · 7/10 · 12 July 2006]

Like most people, I was convinced that Pixar's "Cars" was going to be the animated movie of the year and that "Over the Hedge" was just another cheap attempt with the proved formula of cute talking animals. I was very surprised by the end result as it ended up not only being an enjoyable fable about friendship and the typical stuff, it is also a very witty commentary about our modern way of life.

Based on the syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, "Over the Hedge" is the story of R.J. (Bruce Willis), a witty and knowledgeable raccoon with a problem: he must restore the food he stole from a bear in two weeks or he will have to be eaten in its place. To do it, he decides to raid the houses of the new suburban landscape, and to do it he recruits a group of naive animals who never had seen a human before. almost without knowing it he'll become a member of the family and will begin to have serious doubts about his plan of deceiving the gang.

Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, "Over the Hedge" is a huge step forward from Dreamworks' previous animated feature, "Madagascar". Technically the movie looks beautiful and the animation is for the most part superb. Great care was taken with the characters' design and while they look quite different from their original versions, the change was definitely for the better.

The plot at its core is once again the typical story of an outcast who finds a family, but it's spiced up by the satire and wit of the original comic strip and that's what makes the movie different from others. This balance between the comic strip's sharp social commentary and the funny and simpler slapstick comedy makes that the film can be enjoyed by both children and adults without being overtly filled with pop-culture references. The characters are very well written although due to the large number of them some may feel a bit underdeveloped.

The voice cast is appropriate, although like in most Dreamworks movies, movie stars are preferred over professional voice actors creating a bit of a mixed bag. Bruce Willis is good, although nothing spectacular, and Garry Shandling as Verne, the gang leader, was also not as surprising. On the other hand, Steve Carell makes a brilliant job, as well as Wanda Sykes and a surprising Avril Lavigne. Wanda Sykes, William Shatner and Thomas Hayden Church are also brilliant.

Frankly, the movie's biggest flaw was the large amount of characters it has. While everyone has their moment to shine (and in most cases is very well used), at the end one has the feeling that either the movie was too short or that there was one or two characters too many. The movie's plot also may be predictable to most people, however, the way the director handles the movie truly makes up for the unoriginal storyline. Tim Johnson proves his talent once again and demonstrates why he is a very underrated director.

To summarize, I was very surprised by the way "Over the Hedge" developed and I truly enjoyed it. It's great assemble of characters and the witty script makes up for its defects and the final product is a very good one. While it probably be overshadowed by the more popular "Cars", this sleeper hit definitely deserves a watch. 7.5/10

Funny, Witty, and Well voiced!

[Kryzak · 7/10 · 26 May 2006]

While this movie doesn't have the depth of Finding Nemo or Shrek, it was a very fun and well done animation by Dreamworks. The animation was first rate, and the animals were very fun to watch. The voice acting was superb and well cast. What I enjoyed the most about this movie (other than the super funny bits here and there) is the social commentary they presented. It's nothing serious, but it shows us how gluttonous many of us "humans" have become. While many of the human characters are exaggerations, there's quite a bit of truth behind each caricature. My favorite is the Home Owner Association President. She was so overdone (yet so realistic!) that I wasn't sure if I was laughing because it was so true to life, or if it was just so out there.

Anyway, good movie, good times, and go with good company. After some mediocre animation movies from Dreamworks, they hit a good one again with Over the Hedge.

Hedge your bets on fun

[rparham · 7/10 · 5 June 2006]

The computer animated film has become to film studios what Mike Tyson was in the ring in the 1980's: a sure thing. You knew that when Tyson walked in the ring, somebody else was going down, and probably rather quickly. The same is true of most computer animated comedies these days: it is near sure to be a mix of material targeted at children and adults, feature lots of star voices and be entertaining, for the most part at least. Over the Hedge, the latest offering from Dreamworks, does not disappoint on any of the above fronts, and proves to be one more notch in computer animations belt.

The film opens on loner raccoon R.J. (Bruce Willis) who has made the mistake of raiding the hibernation supplies of Vincent the bear (Nick Nolte). After managing to lose all of Vincent's food, R.J. is given an ultimatum: he has one week to replace it all, or he will become a bear snack. R.J. then manages to stumble across a group of animals that hibernate together, Vern the turtle (Gary Shandling), Stella the skunk (Wanda Sykes), Ozzie the possum (William Shatner) and his daughter Heather (Avril Lavigne), Lou (Eugene Levy) and Penny (Catherine O'Hara) the porcupines and their brood, and Hammy the squirrel (Steve Carell). The clan has discovered that while in hibernation, their forest was developed into a residential neighborhood and has left them with only a small patch of land to gather food from.

R.J. appears and decides to take advantage of the situation: he will show the family how to raid the houses just on the other side of the hedge that separates their small patch of woodlands from the development, and when they have gathered everything together, he plans to take it all back to Vincent. Vern proves skeptical of R.J., but the rest follow along, and Vern begins to feel jealous about R.J.'s newfound place in their hearts. Meanwhile, the head of the development's association, Gladys (Allison Janney) has called in an exterminator (Thomas Hayden Church) to take care of this new infestation problem.

Over the Hedge is about as broad based as entertainment comes: it features lots of cute, cuddly animals who perform elaborate hijinks for kids to laugh at, while offsetting this with some more adult oriented jokes and situations for the older set. Over the Hedge is a little less successful at this blending than some other films, such as Monsters, Inc. or Shrek. It is a bit more child oriented, relying on cuter gimmicks than some of it's brethren. It doesn't prove to be off-putting, the film is still more than entertaining for adults, it's just not quite as sophisticated as some that have come before.

Plot-wise, Over the Hedge is about as predictable as they come: the outsider looking out for numero uno who gets his heart melted with the kindness of a new family unit he has found. This contributes to the more child centric feeling to the film; many children may not have seen this played out as often as adults, so the material may seem fresher. Over the Hedge manages to combat this weakness by being consistently funny for most of it's running time. There are plenty of good jokes, gags and situations to leave most audience members laughing a good bit of the time (and in the end, isn't that what a comedy is about).

Voice-wise, most of the parts are fittingly cast. Bruce Willis has just the right amount of wiseguy smarts in his voice to sell cynical, self-centered loner R.J., Gary Shandling has the perfect combo of worry and parental concern, and Steve Carell brings a degree of hyper intensity to Hammy. Nick Nolte is also near-perfect for a bear's growly voice and Thomas Hayden Church really fills out the exterminator.

Over the Hedge probably won't go down as a great entry in computer animated history, but it does it's job well enough to be entertaining, enjoyable and funny. Again, sometimes, what more can you ask?

A Great Family Film even for Adults!

[Sylviastel · 18 August 2011]

The animation is quite brilliant and the voices of stars like Allison Janney, Bruce Willis, Thomas Haden Church, Wanda Sykes, Garry Shandling, and Steve Carrell only enhances the film. They play the roles of chipmunk, skunk, squirrel, a bear, and humans in the film. I have to say that the humans were deliciously fun to watch. The woman played by Allison Janney is a typical suburbanite with a deep seeded hatred for pests and rodents in particular. She contacts the exterminator played wonderfully by Thomas Haden Church in the role. Their voices add to the characters. Anyway, she sets up an elaborate system where nothing can live in her backyard. Anyway, the animals that live nearby in the hedge are humanized with voices to develop their character senses. There is a lot of adventure in the film and you wouldn't be human if you didn't want to see the animals win this time. It's a wild ride!

Fun when it wants to be, boring when it wants to deliver a message, Over the Hedge is no Madagascar, but is better than previous animated films

[diac228 · 7/10 · 8 June 2006]

Dreamworks, the anti-Disney, is a hit-miss animation company that sometimes delivers few of among the best animated films, but sometimes also flounder by delivering some stinkers. Shrek and Madagascar were excellent animated films that deserve to be in every large "best animated movies" list. But, there are also disasters like Shark Tale and also the disappointing Shrek 2. Over the Hedge is not a classic by any means, but it is entertaining enough to keep you awake throughout the short 83 minutes. The voice talent was all there, the writing was there, but the pacing kind of ruins it for a short time. Unfortunately, the sentimental value has to always be thrown in, and the movie totally slows down during those sappy, slow, unhappy moments. But, when a chase scene arrives, prepared to be dazzled and very amused. Thank goodness the third act picks up the tempo as it lifts the film from total mediocrity and dissatisfaction into a nice, charming film that is worthy of watching more than once.

Over the Hedge is about a mischievous raccoon named RJ that gets caught trying to steal food from an angry bear, and has a few days to come up with all the food after it all gets destroyed. In the meantime, animals that woke up from hibernation wake up to discover that most of their forest had been turned into a neighborhood. RJ tries to lure the dumbfounded animals into getting all the food he needs, but paranoid turtle named Verne and some surprising circumstances get in the way. A little-known fact about the movie is that it is actually based off a comic strip of the same name.

Kind of like what happened with Madagascar, the writing team didn't have to work much on the dialogue, since most of the humor is visual. Either way, they try to sneak by with a few one-liners here and there. Unlike Madagascar ("Well this sucks") the one-liners tend to fall flat. Also, the low points of the movie all happen in the first two acts, when they were just conversing, when the possums were not being funny, or when the themes and sad moments occur, which there unusually plenty of in the first half. Most of the laughs in the first half came from the squirrel Hammy, which actually wasn't as funny as the hyperactive squirrel Twitchy in the surprisingly funny Hoodwinked.

The action and the laughs totally come rolling in when the final act comes in, and the climax rapidly approaches. Almost every character has their moment to shine and deliver humorous moments, even the dry-witted, almost totally boring turtle. The action/chase sequences are well done, well choreographed, as they showcase moments that you really would never expect from any kind of movie. The voice talent finally flexes its acting and hilarity muscles in the final twenty minutes. Also towards the end we see Hammy at his fastest, and that most certainly was a delight. There is an underlying subliminal message in Over the Hedge, and it deals with America's obsession with food, big cars, and never-ending urge to fulfill its desires.

Bottom Line: Decent, but really gets good towards the end, which is quite the opposite from the typical summer movie, in which the ending usually falls kind of flat. While it is no Madagascar from the year before, it is still much better than Blue Sky's latest effort, Ice Age 2, and way better than Disney's previous effort, Chicken Little. Excellent casting here, even though they truly do not show their stuff until much later in the film, especially Allison Janney as the stereotypical angry, workaholic single woman. If you can sit through some of the boredom in the beginning the payoff will be sweet as we see one fun sequence after the other, ranging from a dog chasing some of the animals to modern-day-usually awful drive gone totally wrong. Dreamworks is heading in the right direction with back-to-back decent flicks. Over the Hedge: over-the-top, and out-of-control, when it wants to be.

Silly yet enjoyable

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 1 June 2020]

This is the sort of animated film that is very silly and has constant non-stop gags but it is still very enjoyable. It has a very zany personality and it never wears thin. There are plenty of great characters and scenes in here.

This is definitely one of the better Dreamworks animated movies

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 24 December 2009]

I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Over the Hedge as much as I did. Perhaps not as stirring as the Prince of Egypt or as zany as Shrek, but it is an improvement on Shark Tale. Well, Over the Hedge is absolutely delightful family entertainment. If I had a minor quibble, it would be that the writing isn't always as sharp as it could have been but this is only occasionally, plus the film was a little on the short side. But all the same, it is very very funny especially the uproarious action sequences at the beginning, and the gags come thick and fast. The CGI animation on the animals is very well done and the backgrounds are audacious. The soundtrack is cool, and the story is engaging and heartwarming. The film is also quite sweet, not sickly sweet, like say Troll in Central Park, but naturally sweet.

And while the ending is surprisingly great, the real delight comes from the animals and the voice acting. RJ the Racoon is simply adorable, and Verne is another great character. My favourite character though has to be Hammy the squirrel, he was absolutely insane in a good way! And the voice cast? All did a splendid job, in what is essentially an ensemble cast. Bruce Willis and Nick Nolte are great, but the real kudos has to go to Steve Carell as Hammy in one of his better performances. All in all, great animated movie. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Finally, DreamWorks decides NOT to rely on animal flatulence. Thank you!

[TheMovieMark · 7/10 · 19 May 2006]

I'm always more than willing to carry the "DreamWorks ain't got nothing on Pixar!" banner when it comes to the issue of comparing their CGI-animated films. All you have to do is watch Shark Tale (though I don't recommend it) and then compare it to Finding Nemo to understand why.

Is it really that hard to find writers that can figure out how to appeal to both adults and children? Anybody can take a big budget and put a lot of impressive CGI on screen (well, except for you, A Sound of Thunder!), but I want something that I actually care to follow. Give me a story that will at least keep my interest, not a bunch of lame puns and outdated M.C. Hammer references that wouldn't have even been funny 15 years ago.

Well, you know what?

"What?"

DreamWorks has finally done it! Call the neighbors and wake the kids because Over the Hedge kept me consistently entertained. No, it's still not in Toy Story's league, but doggone it they gave it the ol' college try, and I appreciate the solid effort.

It helps that Bruce Willis, William Shatner, and Steve Carrell all lend their highly entertaining voices and styles to give us characters that I actually cared about (awww!) and wasn't annoyed by. Granted, Eugene Levy and Wanda Sykes have voices that could inspire me to poke my ear drums out with a kitchen utensil, but thankfully they're not overused, making them surprisingly tolerable.

I would warn you not to set your hopes too high though. While there are a handful of laugh-out-loud moments, I was never rolling in the aisles with crazy Benny Hinn-esquire fits of laughter. For the most part this is just a pleasantly amusing film that will make the kids giggle, keep the adults smiling, and keep DreamWorks' pockets heavier than I could ever dream mine to be.

Urban Sprawl Meets The Varments

[fwomp · 4/10 · 18 October 2006]

Animated films have some stiff competition. Not only do they have to compete against some truly marvelous predecessors (see SHREK, HOODWINKED, and FINDING NEMO), they also have to entertain not just kids, but adults who enjoy taking their kids to watch such films.

OVER THE HEDGE has some great animation and some good voices, but we've seen these things time and again. It also has a morally upstanding storyline (i.e., not betraying your friends and becoming a part of something bigger than just yourself), but we've seen that ad nauseam, too (ICE AGE). What most movie watchers want — regardless if it's animated or live-action — is something fresh, new, and engaging. And that is where Over The Hedge fails. We get the same old story, the same great animation, and the same impressive voice cast.

It is the cast that'll keep you watching it, too. Bruce Willis (DIE HARD) is the main character, starring as RJ, a raccoon with a big problem. He attempts to steal all of the food from a hibernating grizzly's cave (Vincent voiced by the gravelly sounding Nick Nolte, THE GOOD THIEF). When the bear awakens before RJ can make good his getaway, RJ accidentally lets go of all the food and it slides down the mountain and is destroyed. He's then given an ultimatum: get the bears food back within a week or be eaten alive. So RJ heads out and stumbles upon an interspecies family that have awakened one morning to find their wilderness world encroached upon by a huge hedge. Urban sprawl has come to their neck of the woods, and this ragtag group's leader Verne (Gary Shandling, THE GARY SHANDLING SHOW) must find out what this hedge is for and why it's there. But Verne is just one turtle and needs the help of his extended family. They include Hammy (Steve Carrell, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), a nonplussed squirrel with hyperactive sensibilities; Stella (Wanda Sykes, POOTIE TANG), a skunk with an image problem; Ozzie (William Shatner, MISS CONGENIALITY), an overly-dramatic possum caring for his family; and a few others.

RJ runs into this clan and spots an opportunity to gather the food he needs for the bear. Manipulating his way into the family, he teaches them about junk food, dumpster diving, and the human world "over the hedge." But with the human world comes danger. Most notable among them is Dwayne (Thomas Hayden Church, SIDEWAYS), a varment exterminator. Will RJ risk this innocent animal family in order to save his own neck? The answer isn't surprising.

Certainly the voices are entertaining, even more so than the script the actors read. Special notice has to go to Steve Carrell for his hyper-Hammy squirrel who avoids caffeinated beverages until the end when his super-speed is increased to Matrix-like proportions. Also, William Shatner's Shakespearean possum is flat-out fun. But that's it. And for an hour-and-a-half flick, it's not enough.

I'm gonna gas you so hard your grandchildren will stink!

[pawanpunjabithewriter · 9/10 · 2 July 2021]

I LOVED IT! I completely loved it. It was after-work Friday hours, almost the time to sleep. However, I had an urge to watch something, something really light. The moment I started it, it didn't make me bore for a moment. I got a sharp idea that it's a story about humans from the eyes of animals. Comes up, it's much more than that. It has real comedy, adventurous sit-com and is cunningly clever. The writing is FLAWLESS. The dialogues are better than amazing. It's one of the movies people watch again and again for the terrific dialogues towards the end. Steve Carrell is a legend! It deliver way more than my expectations. I honestly rate it 8.5/10. Yet another clever and funny animated movie.

A Family Film That's Not Just For the Kids

[traceymeredith · 7/10 · 25 May 2006]

I grudgingly agreed to screen Over the Hedge this week, despite my lack of interest from seeing the previews. I am thrilled to tell you that it was well worth my time, and left me with a smile on my face the rest of the day. Everything, from the superb mixture of a real likeness and cartoon feel of the cuddly creatures to the creative style of the animation itself to the wonderful script keeps you entertained from start to finish. Not only is it a fun and safe film to take the kids to, the hilarity of these animals making fun of humans and the wasteful consumer environment we live in is hysterical! Not to mention, Dreamworks put together an awesome cast to pull it all together. See? Bruce Willis CAN do more than just action movies!

It Didn't Blow Me Away

[sddavis63 · 4/10 · 11 April 2008]

I chuckled a few times at some of the funnier moments in this movie (which says something right there - the funniest moments could only get a chuckle out of me), became quickly tired of the rather preachy satire of suburban life which reminds us all of the ridiculousness of human wastefulness, and frankly found that the story revolving around RJ the Racoon was unoriginal and bland.

Essentially RJ has ripped off Vincent the bear by stealing his food, and Vincent gives him a week to replace it - or else! RJ enlists the unwitting aid of a group of animals led by Verne the turtle to raid the human suburb on the other side of the hedge by sharing stories of the decadence of human society and how everything revolves around food, with much of it ending up in the garbage, and telling them that the food is for them, but really with the plan to use their sweat to get himself off the hook with the bear. In the end RJ learns the requisite valuable lesson about family and how they support each other.

It's hard to say who this film was really directed at. The cute animal characters seem to make it a kiddy film, with the moral message and the RJ/Vincent situation seemingly being more understood by adults. In the end, I didn't think either audience would be truly blown away by this, in spite of some very good animation and an excellent cast of voices. Overall, I thought it was a mediocre movie. 4/10

lovely animation

[Kirpianuscus · 24 March 2018]

One of films so seductive than, after its end, you look for the motif. but each explanation did not work. because it gives a simple story, a lot of fun, touching moral, great old fashion adventures and lovely animation. and it is enough for become the right choice for entire family.

7

[Edvis-1997 · 7/10 · 1 December 2018]

Surprising good animation movie. Really enjoyable. It's easy with couple jokes. Also that chips commercial wasn't even bad.

"Hedge Is Better Then The Recent Flood Of Animated Films"

[Matt_Layden · 7/10 · 17 August 2006]

RJ the raccoon must repay a food debt to a grumpy old bear, Vincent. On his quest for food, he comes across a small family of animals living on the side of a hedge. With no food but tree bark and twigs for the group of animals, RJ takes charge as he cons them into gathering food for hi to give to Vincent.

I expected Over The Hedge to join the list of Valiant, Shark Tale and Madagascar as animated films that come and go. While Hedge does take a while to get to the laughs, it's the second half of the film that saves it from being added to that list. It seems that after the success of Toy Story back in the day and Shrek being noticed as a film to bring the animated films out of the closet, many actors are jumping at the chance to add their voices to the colourful characters of animation. Hedge is packed with many big names, who's voices all work perfectly with the characters. Carell is perfect as the always on the go squirrel and Shanter is genius as the always playing dead possum.

The animation is better then expected, with the fur on the tails and the blades of grass all looking very impressive. The only downfall lies within the humans. Much like Toy Story, they humans in this film look amateurish to me. Dwayne, the verminator, looks like he should be voiced by someone like Patrick Warburton, but Church did an honest job at it.

Running under 90 minutes, the film does come and go pretty quickly. It leaves one to think that they could have done so much more with the film. With a slow start, it would seem that Hedge is not really going anywhere, but with the second half of the film, mainly the house raid, Hedge is able to move ahead of the pack. I was surprised by the amount of laughs it got out of me. Hedge is definitely better then the recent flood of animated films, and you'll be glad you gave it a chance.

Fun Animated Movie for Kids & Adults

[brando647 · 7/10 · 13 November 2007]

After having seen this movie in theaters, I have to admit: it easily ranks as one of my favorite family movies that I've seen. This is just another gem to come from Dreamworks Animation, who've had more hits than misses in their history. Based on the comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, the film revolves around a family of scavengers, led by Vern the turtle (voiced by Garry Shandling) who awaken after winter to find that their forest has been overrun by a housing development. They are approached by RJ, a raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis, who has his own reasons for wanting to assist in their hunt for food.

Unlike some of Dreamworks previous animated movies, this one does not have nearly as much humor aimed at adults. Fortunately, that doesn't keep it from entertaining. The characters are lovable and the writing is fantastic. The animals' adventures across the hedge make for some really enjoyable scenes. The animation in this movie is spectacular as well. When you think about the detail that had to go into this movie, it is really impressive. The fine detail of the animals' fur and how it moves, and the massive amount of particle effects (the corn chips!) show the length that the animators went to in their effort to make this movie look good.

Of course, you when looking at this movie, you have to make mention of the superb voice acting. Bruce Willis, Steve Carrell (as Hammy the squirrel), and Thomas Haden Church (Duane, the exterminator) are the highlights of this movie and they alone make it worth watching. We are also treated to great performances from Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Eugene Levy and more. Despite the few lines she is given, Avril Lavigne does a pretty good job with her first acting role.

All of these components come together to make a great family movie that is great for kids and adults. There really isn't too much one can find to say negatively about this movie. Hopefully, Dreamworks will realize the strength of this movie and turn it into a franchise, continuing to bring us the exploits of Vern, RJ, and the rest of the Hedge crew.

Sometimes the simplest stories make the best films

[Flagrant-Baronessa · 8/10 · 23 October 2006]

My low expectations were floored by a great adventure à la DreamWorks – a simple adventure about survival in which a raccoon 'accidentally' steals and loses all provisions belonging to a ferocious bear, whom then threatens him and demands he replenish every item of food lost within one week or else he will suffer the consequences. Over the Hedge thus sees RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis) scour the environment in search for goods, a mission that is facilitated when RJ comes across a mismatched family of forest creatures whom he convinces to help him gather the food he needs from the Suburbian residences just over the hedge.

The film opens with RJ on a scrat-like adventure after that-one-piece-of-food and he suffers all the detours and diversion that this mission entails. As is the meticulous animation style of DreamWorks, it lacks the rewarding simplicity of Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age) and does not quite achieve the same level of hilarity and laughter that the latter effortlessly elicits. It even mimics the possum playing dead from Ice Age: The Meltdown which evokes more raised eyebrows than anything. At this point I am also noticing that Willis' voice is much too muzzled and unremarkable to be lent to a protagonist. Although, Nick Nolte makes for a fine bear villain.

Soon 'Over the Hedge' thankfully abandons mediocrity and completely stuns me with layered humour and an energy that it begins to apply to all aspects in the film, the hyper-active ADHD squirrel Hammy most of all. It spirals into an enjoyable romp evenly peppered with 1) goofy light laughs for kids (courtesy of Hammy the squirrel), 2) balanced gags-for-all such as the hilarious zealot exterminator who botches his way through the tracking down of the pesky vermin and 3) sophisticated humour and interwoven references from Citizen Kane, A Streetcar Named Desire and Dr Phil. It is a perfect amalgam of different sorts of comedy and blends and balances its content with deft strokes. Granted, the story neatly ticks off clichés from a formula but it does so skillfully.

Indeed there is a surprising amount of sophistication to be found when you weed through all the standard spoofs. Specifically the film directs social commentary on humans' – and animals' – eating habits as RJ remarks how "We eat to live. Humans live to eat." It juxtaposes these lifestyles when the forest family teams up to assault the neighbourhood in which larger-than-life boxes and packets of nachos, donuts and popcorn are abundant and the shiny silver fridge is Mecca. In the midst of the food-heists there is much action to be found in the form of vibrant, kinetic chases, shooting rockets and acrobatic stunts over the hedge. It is even a bit chaotic toward the end but a great slow-motion capture ties the pacing together.

The aforementioned render 'Over the Hedge' a very alive film and its action alone rightfully vaults it into 'Great Animated Comedies' status. It is no Shrek, but it's extremely enjoyable. Like Shrek however, DreamWorks provides for the crisp, aesthetically-intoxicating animation of nature whose every screenshot is so picturesque that you just want to snap a picture of, frame and hang in on your wall. What's more is that its heist-oriented core with its mandatory sense of immediate danger tingling in the air is something of what Mike Tyson was the boxing in the 1980's: A safe bet.

8 out of 10

Where's that little Clown fish when you need him?

[joeydean61869 · 2/10 · 4 December 2006]

*1/2 out of **** stars

Over the Hedge sadly confirms my waning interest in the digital animation genre. After being enormously impressed with Shrek, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo, the films that I've since seen from Pixar and Dreamworks have had mediocre plots and trite dialouge. This movie is no exception. Over the Hedge has no sense of adventure, which I believe is a crucial element in an animated story.

After a lengthy hibernation, (only bears are supposed to hibernate, but oh well) the cute little animals simply discover - wow! - suburbia, where you'll find exciting things like SUVs, cell phones and two-story homes with identical green lawns. Let's also not forget all the awful Americans who live there. No, not one person is around with any sense of decency. The adorable creatures are more graciously human than the humans, which I suppose is a metaphor for how much people have strayed from benevolence and a sense of community. Our furry little friends are ecstatic about discovering this neighborhood because of all the processed food they find there, but the residents want them dead so they hire an exterminator, who is aptly titled "The Verminator". At numerous times the film segues from its elementary story to show us gratuitous, dizzying chase scenes that I couldn't focus on, not that I wanted to. It seemed as if the Animators created these segments to compensate for a weak script. They will certainly appeal to a kid, especially if he or she is under six and has an attention disorder.

Over the Hedge is artificially arresting. Of course it is! They all are! It seems to me the computerized craftsmanship of this genre has been set, at least for now, and no one is falling short. The voices are good also. No big surprise there. If we continue to give so many accolades to the superstar actors and musicians who speak the parts, we should also honor all the bygone men and women who were doing it decades ago, and who were just as good.

I'm not oblivious to the fact that animated movies are primarily orchestrated for children, as they should be. But this genre has proved its appeal to all ages with much better films with more depth and scope that involve jokes with double-meaning: Mom and Dad get it one way, the Kids another.

If you rent this movie one day and find yourself too busy to watch it, don't worry...press play. Feel free to leash up your dog and walk him around the block or finish up those dirty dishes at any time. Don't hit pause. Just keep it rolling. When you return to your sofa you'll fall right back into it. You won't miss a thing. Over the Hedge is so predictable, so simply formulated you can't even pride yourself in knowing what will happen next or how it will end.

Kids will love it, adults will love, and I loved it.

[Movieguy_blogs_com · 10/10 · 17 May 2006]

In 'Over the Hedge' Bruce Willis plays RJ, a raccoon who is in trouble. He tried to take Vincent the bear's (Nick Nolte) food and has two weeks to replace it or else. RJ's plan, to con a group of foragers into collecting the food for him. Lead by Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling), who does not trust RJ, the group is impressed with RJ's knowledge of suburbia which has recently invaded their forest and has built a hedge around of what is left of their environment. The group decides to follow RJ, but will it be their undoing?

This is an awesome film with an all-star cast. With the likes of Steve Carell, William Shatner, and Thomas Haden Church; this movie is a true hit. Kids will love it, adults will love, and I loved it. Everyone is perfect in their roles; I have not seen a better animated film since 'Finding Nemo'.

Cute

[frosty-44431 · 7/10 · 7 February 2021]

It's hard not to like this film, I don't have anything negative or positive to say about this, it's just a typical chill out movie with a good story and some cute animals.

Boring and too much cutesy-poo

[marc242 · 1/10 · 8 July 2006]

How nice, another clone of "Toy Story" and "Ice Age". A merry band of cute *yawn* furry characters have to overcome various obstacles and live through hilarious *yawn* adventures in US Suburbia.

Ever since I saw the first ads and trailers, I just knew they were going to play it safe. Everything is so politically correct and cute, it hurts. Again,there are stars and has-beens such as Bruce Willis and William Shatner who provide the voices for the CGI-Characters, but it does not help the movie in any way. Granted,on the technological side its all good and perfect,but why does every 3D-animated movie nowadays have to cater towards a pre -school audience with their (annoyed) parents?

I know,I know...more mature stories don't sell that well,and have proved to be difficult to market to an audience that expects Disney-styled cuteness and morally conservative messages. But still, can't they even try (for chrissakes !!)to smuggle a bit more subversive stuff into their projects? No,no that would be too much to ask,I guess. My Prediction is, that if that trend of "playing it safe and copying proved and successful concepts" continues, this particular brand of animation will no longer be able to garner interest from the audience. Its just an expensive and overblown exercise in producing meaningless entertainment.

Just my 2 Cents. : /

Imaginative and humorous, and there's something for everybody!

[Gordon-11 · 29 August 2006]

This film is about an animal having to steal a lot of food to prevent getting killed by a bear. In the process, he made a lot of friends, learnt about family, trust and betrayal.

I was very pleasantly surprised about this film. It was imaginative, fun and humorous to watch. It got me laughing out loud so many times. The jokes were funny and kids friendly too.

It was also amazing how they gave seemingly everyday items and routines another light. A phone was rebranded as a device for summoning food, a door was called a portal for the entry of food. I never thought about it that way! The lateral thinking seen in this film was entertaining and fun.

There were loads of intense action scenes to keep kid interested, and for adults, there were plots about family, trust and betrayal. There was something for everybody! I strongly recommend this film!

Great slapstick animation mixed in with some social satire

[tehkao · 7/10 · 28 April 2006]

Just caught a sneak preview of this last night in Hollywood. I didn't go in with much expectations since I wasn't too impressed by the trailer. But I ended up being pretty well entertained. What really stood out to me was the quality of the animation and the great designs of some of the characters, especially the evil Home Owner's Association Lady. What disappointed me was the childish and crude nature of the dialog and humor, with the exception of a few clever gags near the end. Overall it isn't anything you haven't seen before in other cutesy-animal-CGI, but it did have a few unexpected twists at the end and enough satire about suburbia and American consumerism to make it worth a look even for adults. I rate it: CG quality - 8, Character designs - 8, Story - 6, Dialogue/Humour - 6, Overall - 7.5.

dreamworks finally makes a film to hold against shrek

[nobbytatoes · 7/10 · 18 June 2006]

Desperate for food, raccoon RJ decides to steal Vincent's, a black bear mound of food. The food gets destroyed, with RJ having one week to restock Vincent's supply. It's the end of winter and the mixed group of forest creatures are coming out of hibernation. During the winter season, the forest was enclosed by a massive hedge, with a new suburban estate. Unaware of what to do and where to find food, RJ tricks the group to collect food from the surrounding houses to pay of his debt to Vincent.

Of late Dreamworks has released very average computer animated films; with Shrek being their most successful. Over the hedge is the first film since Shrek that can actually be placed beside it. Firstly the animation is a great step forward, leaving the caricature style of animation of Madagascar and Shark Tale behind; all for the better. The animation is bright and colourful, with great detail to the animals and their gleaming bright eyes.

The biggest step forward is the driving force of the jokes; switching from pop cultured references to dig into the characters for the meat of the jokes. Cultural references end up as easy laughs, that lack a lot of punch. While there are some pop culture references, they are minimal and not glaringly obvious. Adding depth is the subtext on humanities consumption and waste; it's no wonder many have called the recent rise of obesity an epidemic. Also added into the subtext is our impact on the environment and animal life.

Feeling more of a star vehicle, the voice talent is some what disappointing. Garry Shandling delivers such a lumbered and monotoned voice to Verne, lacking so much energy. Avril Lavigne should stay in music, with nothing special as Heather. Wanda Sykes exaggerated jive attitude is so tacked on. William Shatner does his usual style of over acting, and works great. Nick Nolte and Thomas Haden Church bring fun as Vincent and exterminator Dwayne. Bruce Willis does great as RJ and really carries the film. Though basically stealing the light in everything he does, Steve Carell just takes over every moment he's on, perfectly suited to the hyperactive Hammy.

Over the hedge is fast paced and never looses your attention, one of the most interesting animated films of late.