Let the Summer 2006 Animation Wars begin! Dreamworks' Over the Hedge has fired the first volley and Pixar's Cars already has its work cut out for it! Over the Hedge is the funniest and most cleverly written animated movie since The Incredibles. Maybe not quite on par with The Incredibles but certainly the best since IMHO. My son is seven and he absolutely loved it. If you're a parent and are looking for a good family film this is it. Its certainly the best film released this weekend. As one critic who debunked the DaVinci Code put it, "Don't go see Monks. Go see Chipmonks instead!" Did anyone else catch this flick this weekend? Lets hear what you thought.
Over The Hedge: Review Thread
Hello all,
Just another short review of Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick's adaptation of Over The Hedge, based on the comic strips of Michael Fry and T Lewis.
In short, this is one of the better effort from Dreamworks Animation. Much better than last year's Madagascar and the ill-fated Shark Tale. It didn't have the rapid fire visual jokes that the Shrek franchise has. It could also be that the jokes are so American-centric that people half-way across the world didn't get the reference. I did get the Dr. Phil joke.
But what it does have is some great voice acting by the cast and amazing character animation by the animators. Make no mistake - the script is much more polished, creating a familiar family story with a lot of potshots taken at the expense of the craziest animals of all - humans! I've never read the comic strip but the movie seems to jive with what the strip is about, which is the study of the idiosyncracies of human in suburbia.
It has an all-star cast: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Avril Lavigne, and Omid Djalili.
Like Madagascar, Dreamworks Animation and PDI have refined their pull-and-stretch animation techniques. All of the furry creatures, including the sole amphibian, are rendered beautifully. Johnson and Kirkpatrick should take full credit for that. But they also have to take full credit for not fully utilizing the mix! It wasn't an enveloping mix, like most of Pixar's sound mixes are.
I feel that while kids may dig some part of this movie and the toys, it is the adults who would truly get what it is like to live on their side of the street. Over The Hedge will struggle to get an Oscar nod next year, but at the very least, it was very entertaining. A smart, smart movie.
fuad
Just another short review of Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick's adaptation of Over The Hedge, based on the comic strips of Michael Fry and T Lewis.
In short, this is one of the better effort from Dreamworks Animation. Much better than last year's Madagascar and the ill-fated Shark Tale. It didn't have the rapid fire visual jokes that the Shrek franchise has. It could also be that the jokes are so American-centric that people half-way across the world didn't get the reference. I did get the Dr. Phil joke.
But what it does have is some great voice acting by the cast and amazing character animation by the animators. Make no mistake - the script is much more polished, creating a familiar family story with a lot of potshots taken at the expense of the craziest animals of all - humans! I've never read the comic strip but the movie seems to jive with what the strip is about, which is the study of the idiosyncracies of human in suburbia.
It has an all-star cast: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Avril Lavigne, and Omid Djalili.
Like Madagascar, Dreamworks Animation and PDI have refined their pull-and-stretch animation techniques. All of the furry creatures, including the sole amphibian, are rendered beautifully. Johnson and Kirkpatrick should take full credit for that. But they also have to take full credit for not fully utilizing the mix! It wasn't an enveloping mix, like most of Pixar's sound mixes are.
I feel that while kids may dig some part of this movie and the toys, it is the adults who would truly get what it is like to live on their side of the street. Over The Hedge will struggle to get an Oscar nod next year, but at the very least, it was very entertaining. A smart, smart movie.
fuad
- Status
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
Quote:
Oh, no. It's nothing like it. In this one, the animals go from the wild to civalization - not the other way around. It's completely different...
| Originally Posted by DaveFi The clips I've seen of it look cute, but I fear many people will consider this one more Madagascar clone. |
Quote:
If it's actually funny then it's no Madagascar clone.
| Originally Posted by NetworkTV Oh, no. It's nothing like it. In this one, the animals go from the wild to civalization - not the other way around. It's completely different... |
Found it. Can the moderator please merge the thread?
fuad
fuad
Verne definitely is an amazing character. What makes him work is that Gary Shandling doesn't sound like Gary Shandling, thereby pulling you more into the more.
While Bruce Willis as RJ is like Addison in Moonlighting, except furrier and funnier, with his take on human life.
William Shatner and Nick Nolte are virtually undistinguishable.
Best scene has gotta belong to Hammy.
fuad
While Bruce Willis as RJ is like Addison in Moonlighting, except furrier and funnier, with his take on human life.
William Shatner and Nick Nolte are virtually undistinguishable.
Best scene has gotta belong to Hammy.
fuad
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
- Status
