Over the Hedge

This movie was better than I expected. I thought that it would be predictable and one of the dime a dozen animation films coming out now. I am an animation fan, and the animation was great, in addition to the story. The characters were somewhat predictable, but very well done and not boring. The voices are very well done as well. This is a movie that children can also enjoy (sounds kind of odd being that animation films are usually supposed to be for kids), in addition to adults. It has some really funny parts that are not cliché humor. Probably the best part about it is the message it sends about humans encroaching on animal habitats and how it affects the balance of nature.

Wow! Wow! Wow! I was transfixed! The animation? Gorgeous! The subtle humor? Uproarious! The not-so-subtle humor? Even better! This was a great movie that will surely be nominated for an Oscar if for no other reason than the beauty of the animation. While I could have honestly thought of a couple of better casting choices, I will mention that Wanda Sykes, Thomas Haden Church and Steve Carrell were brilliant in their roles. And who better to make fun of William Shatner than William Shatner? Worthy of special mention (and a second look - go see this movie again!): the Rottweiler interludes, the ripples in the water, the porcupine quills, the oh-so-amazing foliage throughout the movie, and Vincent's cartoonish-yet-strangely-scary expression.

Really REALLY a great movie that should appeal to all.

Enjoy.

I grudgingly agreed to screen Over the Hedge this week, despite my lack of interest from seeing the previews. I am thrilled to tell you that it was well worth my time, and left me with a smile on my face the rest of the day. Everything, from the superb mixture of a real likeness and cartoon feel of the cuddly creatures to the creative style of the animation itself to the wonderful script keeps you entertained from start to finish. Not only is it a fun and safe film to take the kids to, the hilarity of these animals making fun of humans and the wasteful consumer environment we live in is hysterical! Not to mention, Dreamworks put together an awesome cast to pull it all together. See? Bruce Willis CAN do more than just action movies!

I LOVED IT! I completely loved it. It was after-work Friday hours, almost the time to sleep. However, I had an urge to watch something, something really light. The moment I started it, it didn't make me bore for a moment. I got a sharp idea that it's a story about humans from the eyes of animals. Comes up, it's much more than that. It has real comedy, adventurous sit-com and is cunningly clever. The writing is FLAWLESS. The dialogues are better than amazing. It's one of the movies people watch again and again for the terrific dialogues towards the end. Steve Carrell is a legend! It deliver way more than my expectations. I honestly rate it 8.5/10. Yet another clever and funny animated movie.

While this movie doesn't have the depth of Finding Nemo or Shrek, it was a very fun and well done animation by Dreamworks. The animation was first rate, and the animals were very fun to watch. The voice acting was superb and well cast. What I enjoyed the most about this movie (other than the super funny bits here and there) is the social commentary they presented. It's nothing serious, but it shows us how gluttonous many of us "humans" have become. While many of the human characters are exaggerations, there's quite a bit of truth behind each caricature. My favorite is the Home Owner Association President. She was so overdone (yet so realistic!) that I wasn't sure if I was laughing because it was so true to life, or if it was just so out there.

Anyway, good movie, good times, and go with good company. After some mediocre animation movies from Dreamworks, they hit a good one again with Over the Hedge.