Sometimes the only way out is through.
Not to sound like a grandmother, but whatever happened to the golden days of animation? The technology was clunky by today's standards, songs pure corn and to note that Disney was racist is like saying that you probably don't want to invite David Duke to Joe Lieberman's surprise birthday party. But
The Lady and the Tramp
,
The Jungle Book
and
Robin Hood
had character, were moving and didn't haul you hysterically through plot elements.
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Maybe the high-tech aesthetic of a generation weaned on Myst is bound to be different; studio gross receipts prove that
we're learning to find robots and cars heartwarming. DreamWorks' amiable
Over the Hedge
will likely prove another nail in the coffin of human-scale animation, which is a shame, because it's an animated feature of the sort in which corporate Disney/Pixar is increasingly uninterested.
Only black-sheep cousin DreamWorks, with its countercultural sense of humor, could get behind a story as subtly left-of-center as this one: RJ (Bruce Willis) is a fast-talking raccoon on the make, looking to score a large quantity of junk food so he can pay off an ursine leg-breaker (Nick Nolte). In the interest of saving his hide, he enlists an eclectic "family" of animals stymied by the new hedge
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enveloping their former forest home, now a tiny enclave of park surrounded by the identical tract housing of suburbia. Their cautious leader, Vern (Gary Shandling), having returned from a preliminary investigation with horrific reports of the "freaking pink primates!" on the other side, RJ must convince the group that there's Oreos and Pringles to be had, and they'd better brave the 'burbs to store enough calories for the winter. Like many of cinema's con men, however, RJ finds himself wondering whether selling out his adorable new friends is worth it.
Steve Carell as a permanently over-caffeinated squirrel is a high point, whether stammering incoherently, "But I like a cookie!" or experiencing the world as slowed-down due to his own untrammeled velocity. There's also surprisingly good vocal work from Allison Janney, Hayden Church and William Shatner, while stand-up Wanda Sykes takes an unforgettable turn as a sassy, no-nonsense skunk.
Kids might not pick up on all the political subtleties, but they'll still giggle like unruly chipmunks. Having a solid screenplay means there's something for ancient folk, too; you might just giggle yourself when the dazed and confused animals all bliss out, coated with the glowing, radioactive-orange powder of a certain brand of nacho chip.
Over the Hedge
may be CG, but its writers know technology doesn't have to equal "rabid speed for speed's sake," which results in 90 minutes even Grandma might approve watching.
