Its animators have really brightened things up arguably outdoing even the Shrek films for visual astuteness, making this the closest any studio has gotten to Pixar's dominating perfection.
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
Why should second-rate scripting be a concern? Because Hedge can be ruthlessly entertaining when it wants to be, and that isn't nearly enough.
Just when it seemed like the computer animation genre was losing some steam, Over The Hedge comes along and gives it a well-deserved boost.
...it is packed with so many delightful observations and its actors so well cast that one can forgive it its shortcomings.
No doubt the people at DreamWorks who made Over the Hedge would prefer that their film bring to mind animated classics like Disney's Bambi (or, as Hammy suggests, Ice Age), but no such luck.
The script is fast and funny, keeping the focus on the story and avoiding the stream of pop-culture wisecracks that these days pass for humor in most animated films.
The frenetic, action-oriented (and fairly violent) set-pieces are well crafted, but without interesting characters it's only sporadically involving.
Best ignore the sloppy message (along with the flavorless songs by Ben Folds) and have fun with the colorful activity and cartoon slapstick...
Visually energetic and light on its feet, it's frothy entertainment that has some ideas in its head and a sense of playfulness that turns those ideas into a speedily pleasant 90 minutes.
Hums along with such well-greased precision, you can almost hear the industrial cogs and wheels whirring in all their viscous complexity. There's such a knowing swagger about the film's comedy, there seems to be no innocence in the mix at all.
This witty and wise comedy is easily the most thoroughly enjoyable animated movie since The Incredibles.
The script pokes endless fun at American overindulgence, from SUVs to obesity. But the shots are cheap not just because they're so obvious, but because you get the sense no one who made this movie believes any of it.
Falls squarely -- and, it must be said, squirrelly -- in the middle between the lackluster Madagascar and the wonderful Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Over the Hedge is never particularly daring, but thankfully it's never insulting, either.
With its clever script smartly tailored to fit all ages, Over the Hedge kept me nicely fed and watered ...
A irresistible balance of computer-graphics animation and high wit, one that raises the three-dimensional computerized technique to a delirious new plateau.
The movie delivers on the broad comedy, but the small moments are what really put Over the Hedge over the top.
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