OVER THE HEDGE

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Should you bring the kids? Yes! I love my job, and this movie is one of the reasons why. It's a fun caper for kids 5 and older. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below.

THE STORY: Sure, we might pay taxes on that scrap of land behind our house, but as this movie confirms, it really belongs to the chipmunks and squirrels who live there. That's the setup for this latest DreamWorks movie, based on the long-running comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis.

Spring has arrived, and the woodland animals awaken from their long winter's nap to discover a large, green hedge right in the middle of their quiet forest. On the other side of the hedge is a new housing development, and it's all quite puzzling to the animals. The nuts and berries they used to gather are now gone, and they're forced to live on bark and dry weeds.

Enter RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis), a smooth-talking raccoon akin to The Music Man's Harold Hill, who explains that the world beyond the hedge is a "gateway to the good life." It's a place where strange creatures called humans put out big, silver containers (i.e. trash cans) of nacho chips, soda pop, and other goodies, ripe for the taking! Why, there's little to fear and everything to gain from these overindulgent new neighbors, claims RJ.

What the animals don't know is that RJ's neck is on the line. If he doesn't replace the food he took from Vincent the bear (Nick Nolte), his goose is cooked!

But the animals – including Steve Carell as Harry the hyperactive squirrel, Wanda Sykes as Stella the skunk, William Shatner as Ozzie the drama-king opossum, and pop star Avril Lavigne as his mortified teenaged daughter -- aren't too thrilled with this over-the-hedge idea. Their cautious leader, Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling), is suspicious and a little jealous of RJ.

Verne wants to keep his blended family safely on their side of the hedge, but, proving that old adage that one man's garbage is another man's – or rather, animal's – treasure, RJ finally coaxes them through the hedge, which proves disastrous! Turns out these humans are vile creatures prone to whacking small animals at a moment's notice! The minute the prickly homeowners' association president (Allison Janney) spots the furry critters, she's on the phone to a homicidal  exterminator (Thomas Haden Church).

THE WRAP-UP: This is a fun movie with some good laughs for kids 5 and older. Sure, it's predictable, and there's really not much new in the world of CGI animation. Most new movies look like Shrek, Ice Age, or The Incredibles, but no matter. The writing is good, and it has a great storyline about our insatiable need for mass consumption. I also love how the filmmakers match up the voices with their characters. You can just see Willis as a wily raccoon, Nolte as a curmudgeonly bear, and Shatner as a Captain-Kirk-inspired opossum.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW: This movie contains a LOT of cartoon violence. Vincent the bear threatens to kill RJ for stealing his food. And when the animals venture into Suburbia, they're soaked by sprinklers, have knives hurled at them, are chased with hockey sticks, brooms, electric prods and weed whackers, sprayed with mace, and nearly hit by vehicles. Questionable behavior includes Harry the squirrel burping, Stella the skunk displaying her feminine wiles, discussion of bathroom needs and "nuts" (note the double meaning – totally unnecessary to the plot), and name-calling. And, of course, lots of explosions and one wild car scene. There's also a scene where Stella gets "corked" to keep her from smelling. That said, all of these things are what my kids – 8 and 11 -- loved about the movie.

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Although the characters are cute as the dickens, the crude humor and violence is too intense for very small kids. There are plenty of other animal-centric movies more appropriate for this age group, including Bambi II, released on DVD Feb. 7, 2006. The woodland animals in that movie also must find a way to live with humans.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): With plenty of action and funny characters, this movie is aimed squarely at grade-schoolers. Thankfully, it also offers some good messages: 1) only take what you need; and 2) friends and family are what's important in the big picture.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels

Jane's Reel Rating System:
One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.
Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels: Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies!

Read my other reviews here.