That other movie–not the one about the Mona Lisa code stuff. Based on a popular comic strip, Over the Hedge tells the story of what happens when a “family” of diverse hibernating forest creatures including a cautious turtle (voice of Gary Shandling, a histrionic possum (William Shatner) and his child, a sassy skunk (Wanda Sykes) and a hyperactive squirrel (Steve Carell wake up in early spring to find that their forest has shrunk to the last undevelooped tract of land now in the middle of a giant subdivision. A sly raccoon (voiced by Bruce Willis) tempts them to go through the titular wall of shrubbery to the bonanza of goodies in the neighborhood trash cans. As much a clever critique of consumerism as a CGI Aesop’s Fable for all ages, the plot might seem somewhat familiar when the raccoon is really only using the other critters to recoup what he stole from a vengeful bear before his time runs out. But such is the skill and fun with which the story is spun that we don’t mind.
I would say Over the Hedge is a safe bet, falling somewhere between Madagascar, which it is funnier than, and anything by Pixar which it doesn’t quite equal. The Dreamworks picture will probably have your kids wanting to see it again, so you might consider putting something aside for an, uh, Hedge Fund.
