Wednesday, 12th June 2013

Over The Hedge
Film Over The Hedge
Country USA
Director Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick
Year 2006
Voices Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell
Details Colour 83 minutes

A computer animated film adaptation of a comic of the same name. It stars a little family of woodland animals who wake up from their hibernation to find the humans have built a new housing estate round their turf. In trying to come with terms with this change of scenery they are not helped by a smart alec raccoon who has a hidden agenda for teaching them to scavenge for human junk. The raccoon needs the junk to pay off a bear whose stash the raccoon inadvertently destroyed.

The comic is very satirical about humans and their habits, and the satire makes it into the film. Perhaps a comedy is not the right vehicle to really attack human greed, and human dislocation from Mother Earth, but through the eyes of the animals we do see humanity being selfish. The film is a family comedy with a wholesome message about family, and the possibility of redemption. Bad guys also get their comeuppance.

The animation is very well done, and there are glorious moments where the film gives way to those making it having fun. Such as when the raccoon opens a packet of cheese snacks and the the impact on the naive woodland animals is depicted as similar to an atomic bomb. The humans are played larger than life, particularly the verminator tasked with removing nature from the plastic wonderland of the housing estate.

A great piece of animation, a successful film based on a comic.