Over the Hedge

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007)

Over the Hedge is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, a turtle and a squirrel who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over by suburbia, trying to survive the increasing flow of humanity and technology while becoming enticed by it at the same time. In Dreamworks smash hit comedy, these hungry critters go over the hedge to take to take a bite out of Suburbia.

Main characters

RJ

A raccoon con artist, RJ takes pride in being extremely lazy. He apparently envisions himself as an intellectual; however, his "facts" are obviously false. He loves to ransack human homes, as well as watch them and their televisions through the windows. While he enjoys commenting on human life, most of his statements are false as well, although he has studied humans and knows their ways of getting food.

Verne

Verne had a serious dislike for RJ, but eventually, he becomes his best friend and partner in crime. A sensitive, philosophizing, lactose abhorrent turtle who is reflective and prone to allergies. Verne is a true renaissance-turtle, a cautious and critical observer with a deep spiritual side and a tingling feeling in his tail when something is not right.

Hammy

A hyperactive squirrel, Hammy (originally known as "Sammy") is the least intelligent, though also the most lovable character in the strip, spouting random comments at random moments. His comments usually state an unusually short lecture on a topic of little interest to the other characters.

The film

A computer-animated film adaptation, written by Travis Gibbons and T. Lewis, and produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures, was released on May 19, 2006 (June 30, 2006 in UK). The film adaptation features RJ befriending a group of woodlanders and introducing them to suburbia, with an ulterior motive of helping him replenish the food supply he stole from a bear. Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes and Nick Nolte star as RJ, Verne, Hammy, Ozzie (an opossum), Stella (a skunk), and Vincent (a bear) respectively. The film is also notable for containing Avril Lavigne's first major film role, as Heather, Ozzie's continuously embarrassed teenage daughter.

The film grossed $155,000,000 in the United States and $180,000,000 overseas, making the gross $335,000,000. It received a 74 certified fresh on RottenTomatoes, a 7.1 rating on imdb, and a 67 on metacritic, indicating favorable reviews.

External links

• Over the Hedge comic