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Tiger (Omid Djalili) is smitten with Stella (Wanda Sykes), disguised to look like a cat, a la Pepe Le Pew

William Shatner and Avril Lavigne's father and teenage daughter possums are a real highlight of Over the Hedge. Ozzie, the father, has the possum gift for playing dead as a survival technique in times of peril. Shatner has a great time lampooning his infamous acting techniques in overwrought death scenes that feature classic film and theatre dialogue. Heather, the daughter, is continually and understandably mortified by her father's theatrics. There is a nice arc to their story and a sweetness to the resolve in their relationship that is amusing and compelling at the same time. Less successful is the overall storyline about RJ's need to learn the importance of family. The moralizing there feels obligatory, more a tacked on "lesson" than an organic part of the story. Fortunately, Over the Hedge keeps plowing ahead with enough comedic force to overcome any of its shortcomings.

Over the Hedge was directed by Tim Johnson (Antz, Sinbad) and Karey Kirkpatrick (writer of Chicken Run and brother of acclaimed Christian music producer and artist Wayne Kirkpatrick). In the competitive arena of CGI movies, they've crafted a solid contender. Over the Hedge does not have a story as realized and compelling as Finding Nemo or as innovative as Shrek, but it is refreshingly free of the current-but-fleeting pop culture references that marred Shrek and sank Shark Tale. The film's messages—pro-family (really more "pro-community"), pro-ecology, and anti-consumerism—sometimes feel a bit forced. But Over the Hedge is genuinely and consistently funny, for both children and parents. And in a world of often-unfunny kid features, that's a triumph.

1. The humans clear-cut a forest to create a subdivision, and then seek to exterminate the animals they've displaced. Practical ecological implications aside, what moral and spiritual obligation (if any) do humans have to animals and the environment?
   
   
2. When RJ finally confesses his agenda, he's shocked to discover his friends would have willingly helped him if they'd known his need. Are there times when your desire to hide your own need keeps you from being completely authentic in your relationships?
   
   
3. Most of the humans in Over the Hedge are more concerned about the appearance of the lawns than the state of the hearts in the neighborhood. Is there a sense of community where you live? Do you know how your neighbors are doing? Do you even know their names?
   

Over the Hedge is rated PG for some rude humor and mild comic action. The rude humor is fairly innocuous, having mostly to do with a skunk and a cork in one scene and an exposed turtle posterior in another. The "mild comic action" is actually surprisingly violent for the intended audience. For example, the bear says he intends to "kill" RJ, rather than using a euphemism that makes the plot clear to older kids without freaking out younger ones. The resulting sense of peril made my eight-year-old fairly anxious at times (although he still loved the movie); it may be upsetting for sensitive kids or children under 6. There is also a fair amount of Road Runner-esque violence involving the exterminator's devices; it's funny but a bit gratuitous for younger kids.

Photos © Copyright DreamWorks Animation

© Carolyn Arends 2006, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

from Film Forum, 06/08/06
Andrew Coffin (World) says the movie "doesn't begin to reach Pixar-level transcendence (in the age-defying use of the term), this DreamWorks effort holds up well as amiable entertainment. One might not be tempted to recommend Over the Hedge to adults without children, but the cartoon is fun, energetic, and, mostly, family-appropriate."

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