Over the Hedge (PG)
Mike:
Mike:Tonight we are reviewing DreamWorks latest animated film Over the Hedge
. This is the story of how RJ the Raccoon (Bruce Willis) leads a variety of forest animals into the world of humans and their food.
Scott was unable to attend as he was having his body buffed and waxed, so he could run to California and back.
So Mike what did you think?
I thought it was very entertaining. This is an animated movie for both young and old. If you had this cast in a live action comedy it would be hard to beat. Bruce Willis leads a humorous cast that includes Garry Shandling (Verne the Turtle), Steve Carell (Hammy the Squirrel), Wanda Sykes (Stella the Skunk), William Shatner (Ozzie the Opossum), Nick Nolte (Vincent the Bear), and Thomas Hayden Church (Dwayne the Exterminator).
The story is one we have seen many times before, but most likely the kids in the audience have not. RJ is the loner who finds a group of animal hibernators and uses them to help him pay back a debt to a bear he has crossed. Of course, they don’t know they are being used, and after being charmed by him the family of sorts invites RJ into the fold. RJ is definitely flashier, more exciting and more self assured than Verne who had been quietly leading the group until the newcomers’ arrival. It is certainly no surprise that after a number of adventures together that RJ falls for them as much as they fall for him.
Luckily for this film, plot is not the reason that you go to a cartoon. Normally, it’s for quality animation and a good laugh. Well, this film has both. The animation is definitely up to the standards that we expect from DreamWorks, the makers of Shrek and Madagascar. The animals don’t look like real animals, but they do look real. In fact, they are going to make very successful stuffed animals. Even though they play an integral part of the movie, the humans still have that funny doll like quality in their rendering. Certain animation stood out and I know this will sound funny, but the scenes with a bag of chips and a vending machine looked the most real. As if they had been filmed and not drawn by a computer.
Humor abounds in this movie. Some of the comedy is physical comedy and even bodily function comedy, but a lot of it comes from clever writing and great comic timing. Some scenes were definite throwbacks to the Warner Brothers cartoons I loved as a kid. The filmmakers aren’t afraid of some cartoon violence and exaggerations like in the old days. At least three different scenes zoom out to show the results of an explosion or reaction as seen from space looking down at the earth. We even get two characters using an umbrella as a parachute that burns up leaving only a frame. The best part is the animals don’t even start to plummet until they realize the umbrella is useless. What’s up Wile E Coyote?
Food is a major subject of the film since it is the focus of all the animals and probably all the people too. The funniest scenes are when this group of woodland animals tries to invade the suburbs in search of junk food. There are some very funny commentary and comic performances to go with it. In fact, there will probably be times when the kids think the movie is too talky. As with most recent family comedies, there are a number of jokes and references that will fly over kids’ heads, but nothing too rude.
Dwayne the Exterminator says a few off the wall things that seemed to blow right by you. One joke is about an old Jazz dancing injury acting up. When you get a good look at Dwayne, you’ll see how bizarre that comment is.
Bruce Willis comes back to his comedy roots in fine form. Like back in the Moonlighting days, not the Hudson Hawk days.
Steve Carell stands out as a hyperactive, attention deficit squirrel.
You won’t be able to miss Wanda Sykes' unique take on a skunk. A scene where they disguise the skunk to look like a cat seems very familiar. What’s up Pepé Le Pew?
William Shatner cracked me up as an overacting opossum, who knows how to milk a death scene as he “plays possum”. His character Ozzie even manages to throw in a Citizen Kane reference guaranteed to only make geeks like me laugh.
I don’t know if this film manages to be as clever as the two Shrek films, but it is a step up from Madagascar. And as you may know, I liked Madagascar. I think it will make a ton of money as it appeals to both kids and adults. I give this movie 4 stars for animated comedy and 4 stars overall. I am ready to see it again just to catch some of the performances and jokes I missed the first time around.
I say, check this movie out even if it’s just to see if Hammy can find his nuts.
