Good-to-Average Reviews Greet New 'Over the Hedge' Film

By: Dave Astor "Over the Hedge" opened today to both positive and so-so notices, with some reviewers troubled by all the product-selling surrounding a movie with an anti-consumerist message.

The DreamWorks Animation film (subject of a story in E&P's March 2006 issue) was inspired by the "Over the Hedge" comic by Michael Fry and T Lewis. Their United Media strip focuses on a bunch of animals living on the edge of suburbia.

Chris Vognar of The Dallas Morning News wrote of the movie: "'Over the Hedge' is clever without straining too hard for pop culture in-jokes. Visually energetic and light on its feet, it's frothy entertainment that has some ideas in its head and a sense of playfulness that turns those ideas into a speedily pleasant 90 minutes."

Jan Stuart of Newsday in Melville, N.Y., said the film is "an irresistible balance of computer-graphics animation and high wit, one that raises the three-dimensional computerized technique to a delirious new plateau."

Bill Muller of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix wrote: "With half the studios in Hollywood trying animation these days, a movie needs that extra something to stand out above the rest.With 'Over the Hedge,' the special touches come not from the cast of furry animals (though they're uniformly cute), but the movie's winking commentary on the nature of suburbia and humankind. ... The movie delivers on the broad comedy, but the small moments are what really put 'Over the Hedge' over the top."

Jack Garner of the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle stated: "Though not in the sophisticated league of 'Shrek,' 'Over the Hedge' has creatures the kids will love, with just enough smart jokes and references to keep Mom and Dad amused. [And] the voice casting and performances are near-perfect."

The movie stars Bruce Willis as RJ the raccoon, Garry Shandling as Verne the turtle, and Steve Carell as Hammy the squirrel. Among the others in the voice cast are Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Omid Djalili.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Eleanor Ringel Gillespie also praised the movie's "top-drawer voice talent." But Ringel, in giving the movie a B-, also wrote that the film " is more middling than masterpiece, more 'Antz' than 'Monsters, Inc.' A bit of that 'Shrek' smugness has crept in (no wonder, they're made by the same company). Meaning, the movie's a little too pleased with its smart-aleck, adults-only jokes and insider movie references. Still, for the most part, it's eminently kid-friendly with some important lessons to impart, plenty of broad slapstick, and the expected bodily fluids gags."

Desson Thomson of The Washington Post wrote that the film "is built for laughter rather than artistry; jokes are packed into every pixel. But despite the movie's entertaining qualities, there is something a little unsettling. 'Hedge' hums along with such well-greased precision, you can almost hear the industrial cogs and wheels whirring in all their viscous complexity. There's such a knowing swagger about the film's comedy, there seems to be no innocence in the mix at all."

In a negative review, Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson said the movie contains "bland nonsense. ... (T)hough the voice actors throw themselves into their roles with pizazz, the effort doesn't help because they have so little interesting to say. ... Lessons of trust, greed, and honesty lurk somewhere underneath all the corny sight gags and flat, violent-tinged humor."

Robert Wilonsky of The Village Voice in New York City wrote: "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. ... It's been said ... that it's intended as satire -- a jab at our unhealthy lifestyles of junk food and TV gorging. But you can't sincerely say something about the crassness of consumerism at the same time you're trying to unload the store."

Phoebe Flowers of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale -- after calling the movie "cute, funny, and generally forgettable" -- also discussed this consumerism disconnect. "The script pokes endless fun at American overindulgence, from SUVs to obesity," she wrote. "But the shots are cheap not just because they're so obvious, but because you get the sense no one who made this movie believes any of it. The studio sure doesn't: On its kid-friendly Web site for 'Over the Hedge,' DreamWorks plugs 'awesome partner promotions' from the likes of Wal-Mart, Trix, Crunch 'n Munch, and Wendy's. Would you like fries with your pretense of socially relevant satire?"

Associated Press reviewer Christy Lemire discussed this "irony" as well, noting that the movie "is an indictment of the same sort of suburban overconsumption that the film encourages through its marketing." Speaking more generally, she added: "If 'Over the Hedge' aims solely to entertain, it does so in a way that's mildly amusing but mostly hackneyed." Lemire, in her two-star review, did praise the movie's computer animation.

Another two-star review came from Lisa Rose of The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., who wrote that the movie "sporadically amuses. The critters are cute for kids, while a few of the wry punchlines may entertain grownups. Still, the writing doesn't measure up to the casting, and the picture is miles from original."

In still another two-star review, the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips wrote: "'Over the Hedge' recalls the old war-movie cliche about it being 'too quiet' out there. As with so many recent computer-animated critter features ... the visual style of 'Over the Hedge' is bright and surreally crisp. Too bright. Too crisp. The realism in the action sequences is realistic. Too realistic. The lack of charm and wit in the four-handed screenplay (four credited writers, that is) is acute. Too acute."

Yesterday's "Over the Hedge" comic strip alluded to the movie, with the Hammy character rubbing his eyes and seeing stars. "There's Bruce, Garry, Steve, Wanda, William ... ," the squirrel says.