Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis), Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling), Hammy the squirrel (Steve Carell), the possums, Ozzie (William Shatner) and his daughter, Heather (Avril Lavigne), the porcupine couple, Lou (Eugene Levy) and Penny (Catherine O'Hara), and Stella the Skunk (Wanda Sykes) find a treasure trove of food in suburbia, to the horror of Gladys (Allison Janney), the president of the local HOA. - CONTRIBUTED
OVER THE Hedge provides a riotous good time at the movies that can adequately sate the needs of most of the family. The film has more than enough silliness to soothe the needs of the infantile (whether they be small children or adults), mixed with quick wit for those who like a more mature turn to their comedy.
The animated feature involves the capers of a motley family of foragers during the first week of spring. While this family of a squirrel, possums, hedgehogs and a tortoise were hibernating humans came and stole most of the forest. In its wake they left a strange and at first terrifying creature ... a hedge.
A newcomer to the group, a racoon, will then convince them to venture forth into the frightening sameness of suburbia. Of course, suburbia is populated by violent mindless beings, humans, who are quick to destroy their furry neighbours, and so the flick follows their exploits as they brave the dangers of this new frontier.
HUMOROUS TREAT
The story was scripted by Len Blum and Lorne Cameron, while Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick direct a fast-paced, well-timed treat in this flick that barely pauses from one humorous moment to the next. As one would expect from family-oriented fare, Over the Hedge is a tale of friendship and family. It manages this credibly without ever becoming sappily sweet.
The story occasionally moves into some hilarious satire as it comments on the eating habits of Americans in suburbia, pointing to how their lives revolve around food. Interestingly, it backs off from highlighting simply how damaging the food that the animals steal would be, should they exist on the fat saturated diet which sustained the humans on the other side of the hedge.
Furthermore, the film is also beautiful in its exaggerations, earning its place in the hallowed halls of fabulously created animation. For a few moments it takes one backs to the good old days of the Looney Tunes and there is even a Pepe Lepeu type element of the plot.
The animals make witty, charming, lovable characters who are brought to vivid life by the cast, enhanced by the almost realistic rendering of the computer generated animation. Bruce Willis gives voice to the lead character RJ, the scheming racoon. Gary Shandling voices Verne, the tail tingling tortoise, who attempts to be the voice of reason despite his defective shell.
Wanda Sykes as Stella the skunk and Steve Carell as the extremely hyper but loving squirrel Hammy are wonderful additions to the cast. Hammy is a little reminiscent of Ellen DeGeneres' Dory of Finding Nemo. Nick Nolte makes a daunting Vincent the bear.
Over the Hedge is a great reason to go out to the movies. Indeed, with all the laughter it generates one needs to be careful not to fall over the edge of one's seat. It can easily find its place as one of the best animated features, somewhere not too far behind The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Shrek.
