The script is outstandingly clever and frequently hilarious.
Over the Hedge (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:118
Rotten:42
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Even if it's not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages.
Rated: U [See Full Rating] for some rude humor and mild comic action
Runtime: 3 hrs 3 mins 13 secs
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:30-06-2006
Synopsis: Just whose backyard is it, anyway? Spring has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter's nap to discover that a tall, green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up... Just whose backyard is it, anyway? Spring has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter's nap to discover that a tall, green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up right through the middle of their home. Enter RJ, an opportunistic raccoon, who explains that the world beyond the hedge is the "gateway to the good life" where peculiar creatures called humans live to eat, rather than eat to live. Suspicious and even a little jealous of RJ, the ever-cautious Verne wants to keep his blended family safely on their side of the hedge. But, proving the adage that one man's garbage is another man's—or rather animal's—treasure, the manipulative RJ tries to convince the woodland band that there is little to fear and everything to gain from their over-indulgent new neighbors. Eventually, RJ and Verne form an unlikely friendship as they learn to co-exist with—and even exploit—this strange new world called suburbia. Heading up an all-star voice cast, Bruce Willis (the "Die Hard" franchise, "Sixth Sense") is the voice of the mischievous con-artist raccoon named RJ, and Emmy winner Garry Shandling (TV's "The Larry Sanders Show," "It's Garry Shandling's Show") voices the overprotective turtle named Verne in the computer-animated comedy "Over the Hedge." Rounding out the voice cast of "Over the Hedge" are: Steve Carell ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," TV's "The Office") as a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy; two-time Emmy winner William Shatner (TV's "Boston Legal") as Ozzie, a possum who excels at playing dead with a melodramatic flair; chart-topping recording artist Avril Lavigne as Ozzie's daughter, Heather; Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy (both "A Mighty Wind," "Best in Show"), who are paired as the porcupine couple Penny and Lou, with a brood of little porcupine mouths to feed; comedienne Wanda Sykes as a sassy skunk named Stella; two-time Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte ("Affliction," "The Prince of Tides") as a bear named Vincent; and Omid Djalili ("Casanova") as a spoiled housecat named Tiger. On the human side, four-time Emmy winner Allison Janney (TV's "The West Wing") plays Gladys, the president of the local homeowners' association, who isn't about to see her neighborhood overrun by wildlife; and Oscar® nominee Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways") as "the Verminator," whom Gladys hires to rid the area of our woodland heroes. Based on the popular comic strip by Michael Fry and T Lewis, "Over the Hedge" is being directed by Tim Johnson ("Antz") and Karey Kirkpatrick ("Chicken Run" screenwriter), making his directorial debut. Bonnie Arnold ("Toy Story," "Tarzan") is producing. --© DreamWorks [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Garry Shandling, William Shatner
Starring: Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Garry Shandling, William Shatner, Thomas Haden Church
Director: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Director: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Screenwriter: Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, Karey Kirkpatrick
Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Over the Hedge
This moderately amusing computer-animated comedy is torn between its zany, go-for-broke nature and the strictures of trying to be everything for everyone.
A highly entertaining bit of silliness where one never knows what unexpected bits of hilarity lie in wait.
Want to take your kids to a movie that equates junk food and fun? If so, then this one's for you.
There is plenty of topnotch voice talent on the soundtrack.... What there isn't is a punchy script.
Over The Hedge is cute without being cutesy, satirical without being too cynical, and just a whole lot of fun.
Yet another charmless animated feature made by profiteers whose historical reference point seems to begin and end with Shrek.
It's a fast-paced show in which all is not as it seems, one characters has a sinister hidden agenda, and the ensemble must work together to solve puzzles.
Forget about “The DaVinci Code,” the real first hit of the summer is “Over the Hedge.”
A colorful charmer that proves Disney/Pixar is not the only animation powerhouse.
Leave it to a bunch of hilarious woodland critters to teach us suburbia-bound humans a few things about living life Over the Hedge.
This may not be on the same par as the original 'Toy Story', but it is definitely worth taking the children to see at the theater. The colors are bright, the facial expressions are perfect, and there's a lesson in there for all of us.
There are occasionally marvelous pieces of animation and editing, and it is packed with snappy and witty dialogue.
The best animated movie of the year and one of the most fun movies of the summer whatsoever!
The metaphoric subtext is as clear as the apocalyptic destruction that befalls Gladys' treasured suburban home. All of the humans have gone nuts.
A fun family film with lots of silly antics from the animals, high energy, and terrific animation.
I’d rather see the characters’ madcap adventures where they belong – in the funny pages.
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