A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Over the Hedge

Date Viewed: 5/21/06

Details:

Voice talent: Bruce Willis (RJ)

Garry Shandling (Verne)

Steve Carell (Hammy)

Wanda Sykes (Stella)

William Shatner (Ozzie)

Nick Nolte (Vincent)

Thomas Haden Church (Dwayne)

Allison Janney (Gladys)

Eugene Levy (Lou)

Directors: Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick

Score: 1/2

The Review: A little disappointing: not quite the wit and acid of the strip.

After a winter's hibernation, the local forest collective wakes up to find an enormous endless hedge ("I can accept something better if I know what it's called" -- "Steve's a good name") in their neighborhood, dividing their now miniscule parkland from the (apparently overnight) predations of suburbia. But a critter's gotta do what a critter's gotta do -- stockpile for next winter -- so the hunt for food must go on. Such is the premise kicking off Over the Hedge, a computer-animated version of the brilliant cartoon strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis: cute, furry (no way! -- try cynical and conniving) woodland critters versus aggressive human bullies, where the critters have a definite edge. Shandling is Vern the amphibian? ("actually, the turtle is a reptile; it's a common mistake"), the erstwhile leader of this motley family, with Shatner in an underplayed role as Ozzie the Possum and Carell in a wonderfully manic role as Hammy the Squirrel. The satanic interloper is Willis as R.J. the Raccoon, who just happens to be on the lam from a too-close ursine encounter (Nolte), and convinces the crew to explore their new neighborhood.

The quality of the animation is good, but I didn't notice the plethora of background details that now seem de rigueur to anything targeting a mixed audience. My disappointment comes more from eager expectation than any flaw in deliverance. There are occasional tidbits of cleverness: the lightning bugs, and a fully-caffeinated Hammy (you had to be there!), to name two. A (very) few scenes are excerpted from the early strip days -- I particularly enjoy the nuclear goggles and marshmallow roast: the immediate cause is different, but the effect no less enjoyable.

(21-May-06)

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