You know the phrase "Not in my backyard?" Well, not this time. That’s exactly where Over The Hedge takes place/ Those cleverclogs (the wonderful folk who brought us Shrek and Madagascar) have animated a bunch of funny woodland creatures who find themselves up against a human race. The story is a bit hippy-warning about the perils of consumption and consumerism as animals have to abandon their nuts for nachos.
The Larry Sander’s Show’s Garry Shandling is the voice of kind hearted turtle Verne, who wakes up as apring dawns to find himself and his menagerie of plas in the middle of a massive housing development. Up popscon artist RJ, the bobbing and weaving, bit-of-a-geezer raccoon (voiced by Bruce Willis). He’s Del Boy in fur, a wily rodent always on the lookout for the main chance. And when he gets a shot at snaffling Vincent the bear’s huge stash of hibernation grub, what happens? He blows it. And Vincent (blessed with the great gravelly, scary voice of Nick Nolte) insists on some serious reparation. Within a week - or the raccoon gets it.
RJ’s biting his claws and tearing out his fur until he discovers a rag-tag band of just-out-of-hibernation furry folk. Just the guys to help him out, he reckons. And, of course, they do. There’s a cautious tortoise, a porcupine family, a possum father and daughter, a glamourous lady skunk and a hyperactive squirrel. Under RJ’s leadership, the animals go "over the hedge" (well, more like through it, actually) into the big, nasty human world to bring back all the junk food they can find.
Everyone - writers, directors, stars and artists - have clearly had nothing but fun. And, what a relief, the audience does too. Dreamworks and Pixar have tapped into a wildly successful formula using state-of-the-art animation and a now-familiar tone of voice that’s nigh on perfect. It’s another honey trap for the kids with enough warm nudges and winks to reward Mum and Dad for doing the movie run. The choice of voices (if you’ll forgive that phrase) is excellent.
Alongside the aforementioned Willis and Nolte, the following step up to the mic and do sterling work: Gary Shanding, Eugene Levy (Dad from the American Pie movies), William Shatner (as a possum that keeps on playing dead, Jim) and Allison Janney (CJ in The West Wing). And there’s more - Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, Thomas Haden Church (he’s playing the Sandman in the next Spider-Man outing) and Catherine O’Hara.
Top talent, all. They’ll make you laugh. They’ll make you cry. But they might also make you think "hold on." Because Over The Hedge has some familia moments. The chases (although exciting and brilliantly realised) don’t half ring a bell. The Verminator bad guy is cruel and horrible to the animals, just like a certain boy-next-door in Pixar’s] Toy Story. That movie is still the best, along with it’s sequel. But if Dreamworks, have been nicking stuff (just like RJ and his chums) at least they nicked from the best).
This is by far the best animated film Dreamworks have come up with since Shrek. Previous cartoon offerings like Madagascar and Chicken Little have felt like wading through high nettles in hot pants. This, on the other hand, is a charming tale filled with fantastic characters who will make you chuckle and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It’s a simple story made special by some lovely set pieces like when the timid turtle first sets foot on suburban ground and faces the perils of sprinklers, family pets and skate boarders. But there are bigger enemies like Gladys, the president of the homeowners’ association and the pest controller, the Verminator. The dialogu’s sharp, especially as RJ shows the innocent tribe around the human world for the first time. Pointing to a gas-guzzling four wheeler, he tells them: "Humans ride in them because they are slowly losing their ability to walk."
The film mostly steers clear of the latest fashion to pepper animated numbers with "clever" refrences to classic movies or events which is becoming super dull and over-done these days. My only issue is the terrible sermonising at the end about the importance of the family. The point is hit home with more force than Rooney on a mission to get back on the pitch. Apart from that you’d be thicket to miss this.