Why is this film not nominated for Oscar?

Rating: 9/10 (18 February 2007)

Far superior to this year's other "Nature vs. Man" animated film, Open Season, Over the Hedge is a witty, visually astounding comedy feast. The voice cast is uniformly great (even Bruce Willis, whom I was initially uncertain about, as the wily raccoon RJ). But it is Steve Carell's manic performance as the squirrel Hammy that steals every scene. (Honorable mentions must also be made of Wanda Sykes as the feisty skunk Stella, Thomas Hayden Church as the obsessive exterminator, Dwayne, and William Shatner as a hilariously over-the-top possum named Ozzie.) This film was definitely better than the year's "biggest" animated movie, Cars, and should have been in the running for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. (I guess the only reason I wouldn't give OTH a 10/10 rating is that it's not quite on Lion King/Finding Nemo level. But if you haven't already, check this movie out; you won't be disappointed.) Rating: 9/10.