Over the Hedge (film)

Over the Hedge is a 2006 American computer-animated comedy film, based on the characters from the United Media comic strip of the same name. It is directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick and written by Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, and Karey Kirkpatrick. The film was released on May 19, 2006.

A sequel has yet to be announced, though Jeffrey Katzenberg had stated it was almost produced.

Plot
While scavenging for food, RJ enters the cave of Vincent, who has a wagon full of human food taken from a nearby rest stop. RJ accidentally wakes Vincent from his hibernation, and in a race to escape, makes the stash roll out onto the nearby highway and get run over. To avoid being eaten himself, RJ promises Vincent that he will completely replace the stash within the week.

RJ heads towards a recently built suburban housing development in Chesterton, Indiana, separated from a forest glade by a large hedge. There, he discovers a pack of animals recently awoken from their hibernation, led by Verne; the others include Hammy, Stella, Ozzie and his daughter Heather, and Lou and Penny, along with their triplet sons Bucky, Spike and Quillo. The animals are scared as the development had been built during their hibernation and they fear they will be unable to forage for food in the small glade. RJ shows them the amount of food humans consume and waste and suggests they forage from the humans. Verne is hesitant, but the other animals acquiesce. They make bold attempts to steal food directly from the humans, with RJ secretly guiding them to help collect the food he needs to replace Vincent's stash.

When the animals raid the trash cans of the homeowner association chairwoman Gladys Sharp, she calls an animal exterminator named Dwayne LaFontant, who offers to install in her backyard an illegal, lethal trap called the Depelter Turbo. Verne sees this and tries to warn the others, but RJ insists they will be all right. Fearing for the safety of the pack, Verne tries to return what they stole; he and RJ argue, causing a small rampage through the development and destroying the stash RJ had collected for Vincent. RJ rallies the others to raid Gladys' home directly on the night before a large party. With Stella disguised as a cat to distract Gladys' own cat Tiger, the others enter Gladys' home and collect all the food. RJ inadvertently reveals his duplicity to Verne and the other animals, just as they are discovered by Gladys, who calls Dwayne. RJ escapes with the food for Vincent, but leaves the other animals to be captured by Dwayne.

As RJ returns the food to Vincent, he sees Dwayne's truck drive by and, upon having a change of heart, impulsively uses the food to knock the truck off the road, enraging Vincent. Dwayne is knocked out while the animals get free and Bucky, Spike and Quillo use video game skills to drive the truck back to the development. RJ pleads to be let in the truck as Vincent tries to catch him in an attempt to kill him, but the others, angry at his duplicity, refuse. Verne convinces the group to forgive RJ since he returned to save them. After losing Vincent, they return the truck to the development, crashing through Gladys' home, and the animals flee into the hedge. Gladys and Dwayne converge on the animals from one side with a weedhacker and a cattle prod while Vincent tries to swipe at them from the other. To escape, RJ gives Hammy a caffeinated beverage, allowing the hyperactive squirrel to move incredibly fast. Hammy is able to trick Dwayne into capturing Vincent, making Vincent, Gladys, and Dwayne be trapped by the Depelter Turbo while the animals escape. The police and animal control arrive, and Vincent is sent to the Rocky Mountains while Gladys and Dwayne are arrested for using the Depelter Turbo.

RJ and Verne apologize to each other and RJ is brought into the group, as is Tiger, who became infatuated with Stella, even after learning she was a skunk. Verne realizes they have not had a chance to forage for food until Hammy reveals that while sped up, he had been able to collect enough nuts for them all to last the year.

Cast

 * Bruce Willis as RJ
 * Garry Shandling as Verne
 * Steve Carell as Hammy
 * Wanda Sykes as Stella
 * William Shatner as Ozzie
 * Avril Lavigne as Heather
 * Eugene Levy as Lou
 * Catherine O'Hara as Penny
 * Shane Baumel, Sami Kirkpatrick, and Madison Davenport as Bucky, Spike and Quillo
 * Nick Nolte as Vincent
 * Allison Janney as Gladys Sharp
 * Thomas Haden Church as Dwayne LaFontant
 * Omid Djalili as Tiger
 * Brian Stepanek as Nugent

Production
Coming soon!

Release
Coming soon!

Reception
Coming soon!

Home media
Coming soon!

Sequel
Commenting the possibility of a sequel to Over the Hedge, Jeffrey Katzenberg said, "It was close. An almost."

Video games
Coming soon!