Over the Hedge
"Taking back the neighborhood... One snack at a time"

Reviewer: Rich
Review date: 12/07/2006
Film genre: Animation, Family
Director: Tim Johnson
Starring: Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Nick Nolte

The film
Other than the Shrek movies, Dreamworks Animation has had no real critical success. Over the Hedge is a slight departure from their previous formula, relying less on pop-culture references and more on appealing characters, following the Pixar example. The end result is a very entertaining film, with some great characters (the standout being Hammy the manic squirrel, voiced by Steve Carell) and even a 'message' (it critiques the current wasteful society of modern suburban living). The story is stretched a little thin, perhaps, even though it comes in at under 90 minutes long, but it doesn't outstay its welcome, with a pretty exhilarating final act. Over the Hedge certainly belongs in the category of superior children's films which adults can enjoy too; in fact, adults may even get more from it than kids. It referenced some classic films on a few occasions, and I particularly liked the porcupine parents clearly inspired by Fargo.

The summary
There's not enough of a plot, but some of the characters are memorable comic creations. Extremely likeable.

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