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Over the Hedge By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- A bushy-tailed bunko artist discovers that friendship is more filling than junk food in directors Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick's good-naturedly entertaining and visually cheery computer-animated comedy "Over the Hedge" (DreamWorks). Based on comic strip characters created by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, the fable centers on RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis), a rascally raccoon driven by hunger to steal hibernating bear Vincent's (voiced by Nick Nolte) stockpile of munchies. Stirred from his slumber, Vincent catches RJ midtheft, but his stash is destroyed in the process. Vincent gives RJ a week to replace it, or else. Meanwhile, some woodland creatures wake from their winter naps to find that a suburban housing development -- surrounded by a tall hedge -- has sprung up on their forest doorstep. They include turtle Verne (Garry Shandling), squirrel Hammy (Steve Carell), skunk Stella (Wanda Sykes), possum Ozzie (William Shatner) and porcupine parents Lou and Penny (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara). RJ tricks the critters to let him "help" them scavenge enough food for the coming winter by taking them "over the hedge" to raid the humans' homes ("we eat to live, they live to eat"). The lively animation is dominated by nutty action sequences reminiscent of the old Warner Bros. Looney Toons. The writing is witty and benefits from the excellent voice talent. There are a few veiled off-color jokes to keep adults amused, but the film is overwhelmingly kid-friendly. Ben Folds provides unmemorable songs. Mediocre but cheerily enjoyable, the movie imparts a commendable message about family and acting unselfishly, while offering funny commentary on our consumer society's obsession with excess, whether it's for food, sport utility vehicles or entertainment electronics. "For humans," RJ declares, "enough is never enough." In select cities, the feature attraction will be preceded by a delightful computer-animated short, "First Flight" -- itself worth the price of admission -- that sweetly tells the story of an uptight businessman's life-changing encounter with a baby blue jay. The film contains some mildly crude humor, a few rude expressions and innuendo, and recurring comic action violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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