by Barb Hopkins

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

"Over the Hedge," a 2006 film from Dreamworks Animation SKG, is a laugh-out-loud, family friendly romp with likable characters, vivid animation, and a simple but solid story. Co-directed by Tim Johnson (Antz) and Karey Kirkpatrick in his directorial debut, "Over the Hedge" is based on the comic strip of the same name by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. According to director Johnson, the movie serves as prequel to the comic strip as the movie ends where the comic strip began and explores how the two main characters initially meet.

When a mismatched band of forest critters awake from hibernation they find their woodland home has a new addition, a mysterious hedge. The foragers are uncertain and just a little scared until a charming raccoon arrives just in time to explain about the wonderful world on the other side of the hedge where there is an abundance of food to be found.

Fatherly turtle Verne (Gary Shandling) leads the forest family that consists of sassy skunk Stella (Wanda Sykes), super-hyper squirrel Hammy (Steve Carell), melodramatic father opossum Ozzie (William Shatner) and his continually embarrassed daughter Heather (Avril Lavigne), and the porcupine family Penny (Catherine O'Hara) and Lou (Eugene Levy) and their triplets Quillo (Madison Davenport), Spike (Shane Baumel), and Bucky (Sami Kirkpatrick).

When Verne and his family encounter the fast-talking racoon R.J. (Bruce Willis), they are enticed by his stories of the tasty and easy to find foods provided by the human animals living on the other side of the hedge. But what our innocent family of foragers doesn't know is that R.J.'s intentions are not completely honest. The racoon is in debt to a very large, very mean black bear named Vincent (Nick Nolte) and must bring Vincent a large amount of food to save his own neck.

To make things even more difficult, on the suburban side of the hedge is critter-hating Gladys Sharp (Allison Janney) who as president of the El Rancho Camelot Estates Homeowners Association has called in the Verminator (Thomas Haden Church) to rid her pristine and perfect subdivision of all wild animals. Before long, it's war between the animals and humans.

The all-star cast provides strong vocalizations and an element of believability for each character. Bruce Willis as R.J. is a convincing con man but plays the racoon with charm reminiscent of his former television character, David Addison of "Moonlighting." Gary Shandling's nasally-voiced Verne is likable as the film's voice of reason and

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