Written by: Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

Illustrating the truism that most of us never realize what's going on in our own backyards, "Over the Hedge" tells the story of an unlikely friendship among woodland creatures that awaken from a winter hibernation to discover that their forest - and food source - has been obliterated. Instead, there's a suburban housing development from which they're separated by a huge hedge.

Sardonic RJ, the scheming, junk-food-loving raccoon (voiced by Bruce Willis) forced to restock the larder of an angry grizzly (voiced by Nick Nolte), soon discovers that humans throw away great quantities of edibles into shiny metal cans. But Verne, the ever-skeptical tortoise (voiced by Garry Shandling) is cautious and wary of his pilfering plan.

Nevertheless, led by hyperactive Hammy the manic squirrel (voiced by Steve Carrell), over the hedge the gullible scavengers go, along with a skunk (voiced by Wanda Sykes), porcupine parents (voiced by Catherine O'Hara & Eugene Levy) and father-daughter possums (voiced by William Shatner & Avril Lavigne). They raise such a commotion that Gladys (Allison Janney), a hysterical member of the homeowners' association, summons Dwayne the Verminator (Thomas Hayden Church) from pest control.

There's good fun as the critters try to comprehend human behavior from their own observations and the vocal talent is delightful. Filled with pop culture references and zingy one-liners, the script by Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton and Karey Kirkpatrick builds on cartoon characters created by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, as directors Tim Johnson ("Antz," "Sinbad") and Kirkpatrick (writer of "Chicken Run") keep the pace brisk and the animation engaging.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Over the Hedge" is a delightfully comic, sweetly insightful 7. "Animals," as RJ discovers, "eat to live while humans live to eat."