Well animated, great voice work, fun characters and a half-decent plot...what more could you want?

Rating: 8/10 (3 June 2006)

Call me childish, call me immature, do as you wish, but I really enjoyed this movie. It's cute, it's funny, it's just plain enjoyable all around.
The plot is nothing new really, basically just a dummed down gangster type plot. A raccoon named RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis) is caught trying to steal food from a bear (Nick Nolte), and is given a week to replace it or else the bear will eat him. He comes across a family of woodland creatures, and tricks them into helping him. Needless to say, the obligatory guilt trip soon follows as they welcome him as one of their own. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but kept my interest and had some pretty fun plot devices, mostly near the end. The only thing that could have been better about the plot was that it wasn't very fleshed out, everything seemed to happen all at once.
The actors were all a lot of fun, and the voice work was great. William Shartner does a great job making fun of himself, playing a completely over the top possum. Willis also did a very good job as the raccoon, as did Garry Shandling as Verne the turtle. But, as the previews would lead you to believe, it's Steve Carell that really steals the show. His manic, insane, hyper-active squirrel, Hammy, was easily my favourite character. Sure, some of his jokes might have been a tad immature (Wanna help me find my nuts?), but I still found myself laughing at every perfectly delivered line he said.
I don't know what else to say other than that this movie is a lot of fun. Well animated, great voice work, fun characters and a half-decent plot...what more could you want?
8/10