Hilarious animated comedy; wonderful eclectic ensemble

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2006)

OVER THE HEDGE (2006) *** (VOICES OF: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Avril Lavigne, Omid Djalili, Sami Kirkpatrick, Shane Baumel, Madison Davenport. Hilarious animated comedy based on the comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis about woodland animals finding their natural habitat overrun by humanity and a wily raccoon named RJ (Willis) taking the lead to get some tender vittles for his new buddies as well as placate the hibernating Vincent, the bear (Nolte) whose storage he plundered and must replace or else wind up as dinner himself. Inventive, giddy fun with a lively screenplay by Len Blum, Loren Cameron, David Hoselton and Karey Kirkpatrick (who co-directed with Tim Johnson) keeping things wild and woolly with some life lessons sprinkled in. But it truly is hat's off to the eclectic ensemble particularly Shandling's neurotic turtle Verne, Sykes' spunky skunk, and scene-stealer Carell as the hyperactive Hammy the squirrel. Loads of laughs.