Parents' Guide to

Over the Hedge

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Cute animated tale with some mild scares, cartoon violence.

Movie PG 2006 96 minutes
Over the Hedge Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 29 parent reviews

Enrique U.
Enrique U. Parent of 6, 7 and 11-year-old
April 10, 2023
age 5+

Great Comic Movie!

This the nicest movie I Have ever Seen! The Book was Hilarious And entertaining, and The humor made us laugh. This Movie Is A Great Success.

This title has:

Educational value
Too much violence
Spider2003
Spider2003 Adult
January 26, 2023
age 5+

Over The Hedge Movie Review By Logan Strohl

While not one of DreamWorks best movies it is by far not one of their worst either. Great cast animation , story. Songs and score. Fun for the whole family and fans of the comic strip of the same name.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 29 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This animated animal adventure gets rolling when RJ the raccoon (voiced by Bruce Willis) steals a little red wagon full of treats from a hibernating bear, Vincent (Nick Nolte). Awakened and annoyed, the bear threatens to kill RJ unless he replaces all the missing items (they're smooshed in a traffic accident). RJ hatches a plan to steal convenience foods from recently installed suburban dwellers. While Hammy the squirrel (Steve Carell), shy skunk Stella (Wanda Sykes), and Ozzie, a possum (William Shatner), are easily won over by RJ's scheme, timid tortoise Verne (Garry Shandling) frets that RJ is not to be trusted. But the raccoon is shrewd, and the scenario he lays out -- all food, all the time -- is mighty tempting. So it's not long before everyone scampering into the well-appointed abode of Homeowners' Association President Gladys (Allison Janney). In this new world, "the grass is greener," and the acorn-munching kids discover the great tastes they've been missing: cheese dust, pizza, donuts, and Girl Scout cookies. The animals are not prepared for the humans' ferocious desire to protect their stuff, however, and soon the dastardly exterminator (Thomas Haden Church) arrives, armed with traps and weapons.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (29):
Kids say (60):

Cute and zippy, OVER THE HEDGE offers animal shenanigans, an amusing social critique, songs by Ben Folds, and cartoony explosions galore. It's good fun for everyone!

Plainly inspired by the brilliant Chuck Jones, the movie gets in easy digs at the burbs, a nifty homage to Pepe Le Pew (via Stella's faux-seduction of a Persian "guard cat" [Omid Djalili]), and yet another chance for Willis to make good fun of himself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the film's satire of life in the suburbs. They could also talk about the lesson RJ and his friends learn: that supporting each other as a family is more important than their individual desires. They could also use the film and its soundtrack to talk to kids about the greater impact of our actions.

Movie Details

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