A nicely crafted charmer.
Over the Hedge (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:118
Rotten:42
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Even if it's not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some rude humor and mild comic action
Runtime: 3 hrs 3 mins 13 secs
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:May 19, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $155,019,340
Synopsis: Just whose backyard is it, anyway? Spring has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter's nap to discover that a tall, green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up... Just whose backyard is it, anyway? Spring has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter's nap to discover that a tall, green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up right through the middle of their home. Enter RJ, an opportunistic raccoon, who explains that the world beyond the hedge is the "gateway to the good life" where peculiar creatures called humans live to eat, rather than eat to live. Suspicious and even a little jealous of RJ, the ever-cautious Verne wants to keep his blended family safely on their side of the hedge. But, proving the adage that one man's garbage is another man's—or rather animal's—treasure, the manipulative RJ tries to convince the woodland band that there is little to fear and everything to gain from their over-indulgent new neighbors. Eventually, RJ and Verne form an unlikely friendship as they learn to co-exist with—and even exploit—this strange new world called suburbia. Heading up an all-star voice cast, Bruce Willis (the "Die Hard" franchise, "Sixth Sense") is the voice of the mischievous con-artist raccoon named RJ, and Emmy winner Garry Shandling (TV's "The Larry Sanders Show," "It's Garry Shandling's Show") voices the overprotective turtle named Verne in the computer-animated comedy "Over the Hedge." Rounding out the voice cast of "Over the Hedge" are: Steve Carell ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," TV's "The Office") as a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy; 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; comedienne Wanda Sykes as a sassy skunk named Stella; two-time Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte ("Affliction," "The Prince of Tides") as a bear named Vincent; and Omid Djalili ("Casanova") as a spoiled housecat named Tiger. On the human side, four-time Emmy winner Allison Janney (TV's "The West Wing") plays Gladys, the president of the local homeowners' association, who isn't about to see her neighborhood overrun by wildlife; and Oscar® nominee Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways") as "the Verminator," whom Gladys hires to rid the area of our woodland heroes. Based on the popular comic strip by Michael Fry and T Lewis, "Over the Hedge" is being directed by Tim Johnson ("Antz") and Karey Kirkpatrick ("Chicken Run" screenwriter), making his directorial debut. Bonnie Arnold ("Toy Story," "Tarzan") is producing. --© DreamWorks [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Garry Shandling, William Shatner
Starring: Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Garry Shandling, William Shatner, Thomas Haden Church
Director: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Director: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Screenwriter: Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, Karey Kirkpatrick
Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for Over the Hedge
The critters and the humans here resemble metallic, robotic alternate-universe images of animals and people.
I just love the fact that the humans are depicted as evil and wasteful in "Over the Hedge"
2006 has not been a kind year to the animated genre and the empty, irresponsible Over the Hedge is so far the worst of the lot.
Underwhelming...among kidflicks of this sort it's neither great nor terrible, just mediocre.
Just as too much sugar makes your stomach hurt, too much cuteness makes your eyes squint.
Just in case Pixar has forgotten (and all signs seem to indicate that they may have), this is how to make an animated movie that wholly deserves the oft-abused designation 'fun for the whole family.'
It's energetic, colorful, occasionally clever and brims with top-drawer voice talent.
"A fun, simple story and great characters make this critter flick click."
Its chipper, sneering outsider's look at suburban sprawl and conformity isn't going to change the world, but it's still self-aware enough to be reasonably smart.
It feels like I've already seen Over the Hedge four times, after witnessing the parade of commercials for other junk its characters are pimping.
Embraces a timid, underdeveloped middle ground between skewering and embracing mass-market consumerism.
If it settles for being ordinary, at least it's a well-made ordinary, delivering dependable entertainment without actively insulting our intelligence.
Chirpy, silly fun for youngsters thanks to solid character animation.
A rather narrowly conceived tale that makes only modest hay from the overworked conflict between wildlife and encroaching humans.
A cute, clever little movie that gets on the screen, entertains, and then gets off.
Latest News for Over the Hedge
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May 31, 2007:
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May 24, 2007:
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May 17, 2007:
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Attacking theaters on the same May 18 date as the original ogre toon from six years ago, "Shrek the Third" stomps into the marketplace this weekend ready to seize the... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
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