My mother always told me not to waste food. Every dinner plate not completely cleaned would be followed with the comment ‘there are starving children who would love to eat that food”. So, what about starving raccoons?
The movie “Over The Hedge” truly explores the statement “One mans trash is another mans treasure” quite literally.
In the movie R.J (voice of Bruce Willis) is a raccoon that steals a bear named Vincent’s (voice of Nick Nolte) post hibernation feast. Rather than make R.J become the feast himself the bear gives R.J the opportunity to replace the food within a week.
Luckily, Vincent isn’t the only animal waking up from hibernation. The other animals wake up and discover that suburbia has taken over what was once their home. R.J shows the other animals that have nothing to eat, that while the people took their nuts and berries, they brought with them a virtual paradise of junk food that they leave in their trash cans every night for the taking.
Originally R.J tries to use the other animals to his advantage, and have them steal the food he needs to pay back Vince. Like every good cartoon movie however R.J learns that he actually likes the other animals and wouldn’t want to use his friends for his own gain.
In addition to Bruce Willis “Over The Hedge” stars the voices of Eugene Levy, William Shatner, Steve Carrell, Wanda Sykes, Gary Shandling, and Avril Lavigne.
There is a small amount of language and comic peril in the movie, but nothing that should prevent you from taking your seven or eight year old to see the film. The movie can be good for children who may not appreciate nature to get a feel for what it may be like for the animals in their own backyard.
“Over The Hedge” is rated PG and runs and hour and a half.