HOLLYWOOD HUES
Bagful of gags
The humour is sparkling, not gross or trite. There are only a few dull moments,
writes Ervell E. Menezes

Man often treats animals/pets as pests but has one ever thought of what these animals—raccoons, squirrels, cats, whatever—think of humans who always seem to be encroaching on their space? Well, Over the Hedge (based on a popular comic strip) deals with precisely this and the animals really go to town, lampooning humans in an outrageously hilarious animation comedy.

Spring has just begun, and Verne, the turtle, and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter’s sleep to discover that a tall green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up right through the middle of their home. That’s the hedge. Enter RJ, an opportunistic raccoon who tells his fellow beings that beyond it is the "getaway to the good life" where peculiar creatures called humans live to eat, rather than eat to live like the animals.

It’s all about trying to discover the unknown. Alexander the Great suffered from the same malaise. So the ever-cautious Verne combines with the manipulative RJ to make an unlikely duo. What’s more this sparks a chain reaction of curiosity; Penny and Lou, the porcupines, and their progeny join in and so does Ozzie, the possum, and his sexy daughter Heather and Vincent the bear. And some others.

That known film stars play their voices hardly matters. It is the animation characters that are meant to hold the viewer’s attention. And they do for considerable spells.

The humans are represented by Gladys, president of the local homeowners’ association, and she employs the services of the Verminator to get rid of these animals. So it’s war with a capital W. But not before the humans are virtually taken to the cleaners. That directors Tim Johnson (Antz) and Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run scriptwriter) are familiar with the subject and also fans of the comic strip helps.

The screenplay is studded with a plethora of gags and though the visuals tend to be rather loud it is stuff that children are sure to lap up. What’s more, the humour too is sparkling, not gross or trite. May be the narrative could have been a wee bit stronger and the animals fewer in number but there are only a few dull moments as the animals show that they are even more human than the humans.

The background music too is catchy and the animals versus humans encounters make delightful watching. Kids of course will lap it up but the parents will not be far behind. Ideal family entertainment.

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