The Entire Human Condition Through the Eyes of Furry, Cuddly Woodland Creatures

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2006)

Computer animated films are usually intelligent comedies that offer a different perspective on the world. "Over the Hedge" is no exception. But while Disney & Pixar's "Toy Story" and "Monster Inc." offered a peek into the worlds of toys and monsters, respectively, and Dreamwork's "Madagascar" offered a peek into the world of wild animals, "Over the Hedge" is different in that it uses woodland animals to provide an eye-opening look at the human world.
The movie open with a CGI raccoon named R. J. (voiced by action star Bruce Willis) attempting to steal a bag of chips from a vending machine. Upon failing, R. J. enters a bear cave and manages to get caught laying waste to the bear's enormous food pantry. The bear (voiced menacingly by Nick Nolte) offers R. J. an ultimatum: replace the food within a week, or become the food.
Meanwhile, a group of woodland creatures awakens from hibernation, voiced by some of the greatest stars to grace both the big and small screens, including "Star Trek"'s William Shatner and "The Office"'s Steve Carrell. The woodland creatures are shocked to find that most of their woods have been replaced by suburbia while they were sleeping. R. J. finds them and offers to guide them into human civilization, all the while taking advantage of them in order to recreate his bear friend's food stash.
"Over the Hedge" is based on a comic strip, so it's not surprising that the film holds a slightly satiric, thoughtful, and quirky brand of humor worthy of a Sunday funnies page. The screenplay by Len Blum, who co-wrote this year's "The Pink Panther", touches on the topic of the modern human lifestyle of excess, a lifestyle that includes too little nature, too much TV, and way too much food. The woodland creatures offer a wise commentary on SUV's, video games, electronics, and junk food products. Each time R. J. leads the naïve creatures into the suburbs, the animals lose their innocence to the corruption of the modern American lifestyle. A less subtle theme throughout the movie is family, as cool but conniving drifter R. J. begins to see a chance at redemption.
Like the best computer animated comedies, "Over the Hedge" provides jokes for both children and adults without ever becoming crude or obnoxious. Only a few of the jokes are direct parallels of pop culture, and most of those, like in "Madagascar", are tributes to classics like "Citizen Kane" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" rather than the latest entertainment fads. "Over the Hedge" is a must-see for both children and adults.