OVER THE HEDGE (***)
This year, computer animation studios are going ape over animals. ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN (20th Century Fox) and THE WILD (Hoytyboy Pictures) have come and gone, while BARNYARD (Nickelodeon), FLUSHED AWAY (DreamWorks), and OPEN SEASON (Sony) have yet to arrive. No wonder Pixar, CGI animation’s gold standard, decided to breathe life into CARS instead. With all these assorted beasts from of the farm, the forest, the sewer, the past, and the zoo, can any of these creature features set themselves apart?
One good bet is OVER THE HEDGE (DreamWorks), which tells the tale of a clever and acquisitive raccoon named RJ (Bruce Willis) who cons a small group of woodland denizens to grab a wagonload of snacks, all to save his hide from Vincent (Nick Nolte), a grouchy bear intent on making RJ pay for waking him from hibernation. The unfortunate dupes of RJ’s plans are Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling), Hammy the squirrel (Steve Carell), Stella the skunk (Wanda Sykes), Ozzie the possum (William Shatner), his daughter Heather (Avril Lavigne), Lou the porcupine (Eugene Levy), his wife Penny (Catherine O’Hara), and their kids Bucky, Spike, and Quillo.
Verne is the head of this family, and is suspicious of RJ’s motives. The rest of the group is more obliging, especially when they realize their dwelling is an island; the last remaining scrap of wilderness in a sea of suburbia. Fortunately, they’re walled off from neighborly sight by a wide hedge, which to them looks like a cross between Fenway Park’s Green Monster and The Monolith from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. RJ thus convinces them to take suburbanite sustenance, by rendering them helpless to the powers of MSG, much to Verne’s chagrin.
You’d be surprised by how much mileage is squeezed out of the plot’s simplicity. Yet it perseveres, due to an uncommon wit absent in many of its peers. It jabs its well-timed inside jokes like a confident pugilist. Its barbs on how prosperous societies value food are both hilarious and perceptive. Its CGI animation is crisp, but not overly flamboyant. Its characters’ mini-adventures are most of the time impressively conceived, such as Verne’s careening through the neighborhood, to RJ’s rescue of his friends. And few animated films can claim to have a reference to Tennessee Williams, a dig at Pepé Le Pew, or the best bullet-time joke I’ve ever howled at.
It also helps that its characters are so damn cute (Verne and the porcupine tykes are adorable in appearance and temperament), as opposed to those in inferior versions who ham it up (e.g. SHARK’S TALE, THE WILD). The film’s casting is wonderful, with each voice evoking crystal clear personas. Nick Nolte’s gruff growl is perfect for a bear. William Shatner lampoons his very reputation as a possum who emotes even while playing dead. Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as the friendly porcupines, have accents that make you think they were residents of FARGO. Bruce Willis’s raised tone evokes a naughty enthusiasm for his raccoon. Steve Carrell embodies his squirrel as if he were on speed. And Gary Shandling achieves a sublime delight, with voicing that suggests gentleness, caution, intelligence, and nerve.
One thing that detracts from its enjoyment is its willingness to cite its lesson, which in this case is that family comes first. I have no doubt that family is important, but it’s a letdown for film with clever bouts to stoop for something so evident. Still, with its creative humor and stunning absence of product placement (despite its mountains of smorgasbord), OVER THE HEDGE is a welcome gem of family entertainment.
Posted by FLIPCRITIC at May 24, 2006 02:18 AM