Great slapstick animation mixed in with some social satire

Rating: 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.