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Movies / On DVD / Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge

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Over the Hedge (2006)

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Reviews Counted: 158

Fresh: 116

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 right through the middle of their home.... 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

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Reviews for Over the Hedge

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image

Caffeine freak critters, duplicitous raccoons, a highly talented cast and Bill Shatner in overacting overdrive -- it's like coming out of hibernation and waking in an animator's playground.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/10/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

A cookie-cutter money-spinner, finely tooled for maximum profit, but utterly lacking timeless charm.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
01/20/07
Mark Kermode
Observer [UK]
Ratings Image

Bursting with energy, excitement and humour while finding a tone that'll have kids and adults alike rolling in the aisles, Over the Hedge is the first of this year's classic animations, destined to be remembered for years to come.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
07/08/06
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
Ratings Image

Lack of a decent plot or memorable characters starts to show around the hour mark.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/01/06
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

There's a moderate amount of fun to be had.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
07/01/06
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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Ratings Image

A film that's good looking, thoroughly engaging and very, very funny. Better still, it's a movie that will delight all age groups and not just the ankle biters.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
06/30/06
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
Ratings Image

You’ll soon be sick of digital furballs, but there’s plenty of fun here — and Hammy is up there with Ice Age’s Scrat in the pantheon of lunatic movie rodents.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/30/06
Nick De Semlyen
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

It misses the mark a couple of times but in the main, it’s good clean fun.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/29/06
Time Out
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Ratings Image

Brightly animated, frequently hilarious and perfectly cast comedy from the Dreamworks stable - the best of the recent animal-themed cartoon features.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
06/29/06
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image

A cracking adventure, with animation that's worth seeing on the big screen.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
05/18/06
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image

The story is no grabber, and the sight gags are labored, but the animation is sleekly pretty, and it goes by painlessly enough.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
Ratings Image

I watched the film with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by its heart and its humor.

Full Review Source: Murphy's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/14/07
Ted Murphy
Murphy's Movie Reviews
Ratings Image

The final showdown, in which the critters tangle with security-rigged lawn flamingos and garden gnomes, would have made Rube Goldberg proud.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/18/07
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
Ratings Image

A clever and fun escape from the summer blahs.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
UGO
Ratings Image

The new Dreamworks CGI animated feature ignores much of the satire and tries to cram the rest into the usual kids movie format.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
01/20/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image

click to read full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
10/21/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
Ratings Image

The film's messages -- pro-family, pro-ecology, anti-consumerism -- sometimes feel forced. But Hedge is genuinely and consistently funny, for both children and parents.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/27/06
Carolyn Arends
Christianity Today
Ratings Image

This funny film follows the foibles of foragers forced to find food in the suburbs.

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment Comment
09/26/06
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy
Ratings Image

As a film buff I certainly appreciated the obscure film references, but gosh, some of these are way dated

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Weekly | comment Comment
08/23/06
Michael Szymanski
Sci-Fi Weekly
Ratings Image

A pleasant little animated film with great graphics, strong characters and a passable story about the value of family and friends.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
08/11/06
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Over the Hedge

June 07, 2007: Release Dates Set for "Shrek 4" and "Shrek 5"
Well, release years anyway, according to Jeffrey Katzenberg. More...

May 31, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: "Knocked Up" Expecting Solid Arrival
Call it the weekend of the actor/producer. Three new films with stars that do double duty behind the scenes (or have good agents that can snag a free credit) enter a marketplace... More...

May 24, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: "Pirates" Awaits Massive Holiday Treasure
Multiplexes are stocking up on popcorn, soda, and overpriced candy in anticipation of record crowds that could make this Memorial Day holiday frame the biggest weekend in box... More...

May 17, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Mighty "Shrek" Returns To Claim Crown
Attacking theaters on the same May 18 date as the original ogre toon from six years ago, "Shrek the Third" stomps into the marketplace this weekend ready to seize the... More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Over the Hedge

Skel1977
Best animation movie of this year
by: Skel1977 10/26/07


rbroadway
Loved It! Very few movies make me laugh aloud so much that I'm embarrassed like this
by: rbroadway 11/5/06


Occasionally a kiddie flick is equally pleasing to adults. This is one of them.
by: Knightfall 10/23/06


TheCritics___xHateyou__x
When it first came out.
by: TheCritics___xHateyou__x 10/17/06


Darko, Donnie
OVER THE HEDGE is visual junk food, did it get better after the exterminator? I left
by: Darko, Donnie 6/17/06
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