Review of:Over The Hedge (2006)
Director:Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Rating:PG for some rude humor and mild comic action.
Starring:Bruce Willis, Thomas Haden Church, Omid Djalili, Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling
I had the opportunity to see this movie during a pre-screening in Oklahoma City at the wonderful Quail Springs Mall last Tuesday. The fact that you have to arrive an hour early to get inside was only part of what I had to deal with that day. I also brought along three of my daughters to view this film that I knew would be on our viewing list the moment it hit theatres. So with children the ages of seven, ten, and fifteen in tow we took our seats and waited for the fun to begin.
Now for some of you older people out there I’m sure you’ll understand where I’m coming from when I say that I took a little nap while waiting. Graveyard shift, mixed with saying “shutup” for what seemed like forever could do that to a fellow. I fought gallantly to wake up, and was successful before the film came on.
An hour into the film I found my head had found its way to the back of the chair and for some reason I could see the people in back of me. After greeting them with a cheery “hello” I realized that I must have fallen asleep for a short amount of time (judging by the puddle at my neighbors feet I must have been out for five minutes or so). I say this only to let you know that this review has been children enhanced with firsthand accounts as to what happened during the time “dad” was snoring his life away.
The portion of the film that I did see was inspiring and funny. As mentioned before, I could tell my kids loved the film from their constant imitation of head-bangers as they laughed at every joke they were supposed to laugh at. I found myself at times cracking up at the fast paced jokes, and the even faster action. The story behind these laughs go something like this.
RJ (the raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis) is a mischievous thief who finds himself taking things, even though he knows that it is wrong. When he takes from the wrong animal, namely a big brown bear beautifully animated, he finds himself in on conundrum. Replace the food he has taken or die. Along his adventures to replace this food he comes into contact with a friendly bunch of animals that depend on one another to survive. Verne, the overly practical turtle voiced by Emmy winner Garry Shandling (TV’s “The Larry Sanders Show,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”), Steve Carell (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” TV’s “The Office”) as a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy; comedienne Wanda Sykes (TV’s “Wanda at Large”) as a sassy skunk named Stella; 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.
Verne suspects something is funny about this new addition to their little group, but he is even more intrigued by the giant hedge that now separates his group from the houses and area they use to have easy access to. It is RJ, after overhearing that they have a lot of food, that convinces them that it would be better if they found a way through the hedge. What follows as man meets animal is hilariously funny.
If you want to go to a movie that is good family fair or if you just want a couple of winks of sleep this is it. I myself plan to see it again. :)
