An eye opener about the ecosystem!

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2019)

This is a funny animation with loveable characters and quite a realistic plot in my point of view. I enjoyed how every animal competed for food using clever tricks and teamwork. As much as I enjoyed watching it, I felt like this movie has a subtle or almost subliminal message especially for today's youth.
Over the Hedge has a geographical theme to it, showing the audience, especially the young ones of the difference between urban area and a rural area which may include woodland, the forest etc. The main character RJ the raccoon and his friends, after having been in hibernation for 6 months, suddenly woke up to a new and strange environment. The main instinct for animals is to feed. And so as they began to search for food, the destruction and loss of their natural habitat made them unable to find their usual means of sustenance. This gave them an idea to steal food from the households as each team of animals struggle or competed against each other to solve their hunger.
In my point of view, the subliminal message of this movie targets on the effect of land development and urbanization. As our population rises, as the economy develops and new citizens invest more on modern infrastructure, sadly, the government and commercial companies deplete lands and natural resources to give in to the demand of the people. Other effects of modernization and land development include: informal settlements (for humans and animals alike), environmental pollution, destruction of ecological structure and scarcity of natural resources. The need for high rise apartments, sky scrapers and residential areas as presented in the movie, pose a threat to the natural habitat of the animals. The loss of their home and food leads to the decline in the population or the slow extinction of various flora and fauna. Moreover, this case isn't just true for animals but for us humans too. People have to relocate and dwell in informal settlements to survive. Living in a city wouldn't allow you to survive on less than 10 dollars per day; unlike when you live in a rural area, the cost for food and housing is cheaper.
This movie is worth watching, definitely an eye opener not only for environmentalists but for all generations. Let young kids realize the repercussions of certain actions so they can make better choices for the world in the decades to come.