Masked bandit steals your heart--and food

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2006)

R.J. Raccoon is in deep trouble when he steals a bunch of food from a huge bear, then the food is inadvertently destroyed. He has one week to repay Vincent the Bear.
So he arrives as the new leader of the foraging animals (sorry, Verne the Turtle! a new boss is in town) and convinces them that their only hope for survival is to raid the humans' vast supply of food. They are successful, but then Verne returns the food to the people because, well, stealing just isn't right. Result: Disaster. Now R.J. has to fight against the likes of the Verminator (an exterminator with enough gadgets to put Wallace and Gromit to shame), those pesky humans, and the mega-bear.
Finally R.J. admits to Verne the real reason why they went on that dangerous food run.
"We would've given you the food, R.J.," replies the amphibian--er, reptile. "That's what families do--we look out for each other. Welcome to the family, R.J.!"
Great character design and voicing, nice songs, frenetic in its energy (just ask Hammy the Squirrel), and a nod to the past: there are references to Citizen Kane and Streetcar Named Desire, and the relationship between Stella the Skunk and the exotic cat brings back memories of Pepe le Pew.
And William Shatner over-acts as a possum, but you expected that, didn't you?