---
title: "Over the Hedge"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/over-the-hedge"
fi1m_id: "over-the-hedge"
imdb_id: "tt0327084"
tmdb_id: 7518
wikidata_id: "Q245366"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 63
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-05T04:15:50.448618+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T04:15:50.764683+00:00"
region: "PE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Over the Hedge (2006)

Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, Tim Johnson · 1h 23m · Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

## Identity

Over the Hedge

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/over-the-hedge
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** over-the-hedge
- **IMDb ID:** tt0327084
- **TMDB ID:** 7518
- **Wikidata ID:** Q245366
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327084/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/7518, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q245366

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 63 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* The animals have better comic timing than the humans have shopping habits

> A funny, brisk animal comedy whose suburban satire is sharper than its familiar family lesson. Bruce Willis and Steve Carell give the crowded cast enough personality to keep the predictable story from becoming a chore.

## Synopsis

RJ (Bruce Willis), Verne (Garry Shandling) and Hammy (Steve Carell) encounter a suburban world organised around human appetites. People consume and discard on a scale that looks different from an animal’s point of view, and waste is part of the daily routine. Stella (Wanda Sykes) and Ozzie (William Shatner) are among the other animals sharing this neighbourhood. As their lives intersect with those of the humans, the animals contend with the habits of the people around them and the demands of belonging to a family.

## Review

*Over the Hedge* is a good family comedy with enough wit to make its familiar story worth sitting through. Directors Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick take aim at suburban consumption, then make plenty of room for animal slapstick. The comedy is sharper when the animals consider how humans live than when the story starts reminding us about family. Still, at 83 minutes, the film does not demand a large part of the evening to make a modest point.

The early montage about human consumption is where it gets properly funny. We laughed at the humans’ excessive appetites, partly because we recognised ourselves. Looking at human habits through animals gives the film a simple, useful way of making everyday excess look foolish without stopping to deliver a lecture. The screenplay, credited to Karey Kirkpatrick, David Hoselton, Lorne Cameron and Len Blum, has more bite here than it does when moving everybody along the plot.

Bruce Willis gives RJ the assurance needed to hold together a busy voice cast, without making every line sound like a request for attention. Steve Carell is more conspicuous as Hammy, and rightly so: his energy gives the comedy a welcome jolt whenever the plotting becomes routine. There is pleasure in hearing performances with such different speeds share a film. Garry Shandling voices Verne, with Wanda Sykes as Stella and William Shatner as Ozzie, although the crowd leaves some characters less room than they deserve.

The expressive faces do useful work alongside the voices, especially when a reaction is funnier than another line would have been. Kathy Altieri’s production design supplies a suburban setting we can recognise, though little about its appearance stays with us. The animal designs are agreeable without being especially distinctive. Their changing expressions are more rewarding to watch, and the animation gives the performers room to make the comedy their own.

John K. Carr’s editing keeps the action moving briskly, which suits the film’s small scale and helps its crowded cast. There are stretches, though, when the pace gives us little time to enjoy a joke before the next commotion arrives. Rupert Gregson-Williams’s music makes less of an impression than the spoken performances. The voices supply so much of the comic timing that the music rarely becomes the reason a scene stays with us.

The chief limitation is how little the story develops its sharpest subject. Having noticed something funny about wasteful human consumption, the film too often settles for the standard business of animated adventure and a predictable lesson about family. Its screenplay can produce a smart line, but the larger story seldom surprises. That need not spoil a family comedy, though it does keep this one from becoming as interesting as its early observations suggest.

Within family animation, there is a place for something this unpretentious and easily enjoyed. The animal performances and quick exchanges offer enough for adults, while the physical comedy does not depend on catching every verbal joke. We recommend it for an evening when a small, lively diversion is the requirement. Expect the familiar family lesson, and let Carell make the case for spending 83 minutes in this company.

*Fi1m score 73, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise concentrated on the dialogue, voice performances and brisk action rather than the story. Steve Carell’s Hammy draws particular appreciation, while the expressive animation and animal ensemble give the familiar formula some life. Critics also find comic promise in the satire of suburban consumption, though they disagree about how fully it develops. Even several favourable accounts describe the plot as slight or predictable.

The spread is wide, and the balance tips towards mixed rather than enthusiastic. The AV Club finds the suburban satire sly and the comedy self-aware; Slant Magazine thinks the film abandons observational wit for action and leaves its premise underdeveloped. Variety is among the least persuaded, faulting the character design and predictable writing. Elsewhere, reservations concern the cumbersome opening and familiar family-values lesson, with disagreement over whether the jokes and performances are enough to compensate.

## Straight answers

**Is Over the Hedge worth watching?**

*Over the Hedge* is worth watching for a brisk family comedy with lively animal performances and sharp jokes about suburban excess; we score it 73 out of 100. We find the predictable family lesson less rewarding, but Steve Carell’s energy and the physical comedy make it an easy choice for a light evening.

**How long is Over the Hedge, and what is it rated?**

*Over the Hedge* runs 1h 23m. It is an adventure and animation film.

**Where can I watch Over the Hedge in Peru?**

*Over the Hedge* is not on any streaming or rental service in Peru at the moment. It is available in 50 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Over the Hedge compare to Fantastic Mr. Fox?**

*Over the Hedge* offers broader slapstick than [*Fantastic Mr. Fox*](https://film.one/film/fantastic-mr-fox), which we favour for its drier jokes, stop-motion animation and less tidy family relationships. We recommend *Over the Hedge* when easy, fast-moving comedy is the priority; *Fantastic Mr. Fox* is the more rewarding choice for family irritation and distinctive craft, though its script sometimes enjoys its own cleverness too much.

**What should I watch after Over the Hedge?**

After *Over the Hedge*, try [*Fantastic Mr. Fox*](https://film.one/film/fantastic-mr-fox) (2009, Fi1m 84): More animal scheming, with drier jokes and a less tidy family. Then [*Ernest & Celestine*](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine) (2012, Fi1m 84): An unlikely animal friendship, handled with warmth and room to breathe; and [*Shaun the Sheep Movie*](https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-movie) (2015, Fi1m 80): Another animal expedition into human territory, told through carefully built visual jokes.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **The AV Club**, Tasha Robinson (A-): The critic finds the film witty, self-aware, and engaging despite its feather-light plot and overcrowded cast. She especially praises its sly suburban satire and the expectation-reversing caffeinated-squirrel gag. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/over-the-hedge-1798201726)
- **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a surprisingly agreeable, frenetic diversion despite its familiar animated-comedy formula. The witty script and Steve Carell’s energetic performance as Hammy are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hedge-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (65/100, inferred): The page is identified as a review of the matching 2006 film. Its verdict and specific praise or criticism are unavailable because access is blocked. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/over-the-hedge-2006)
- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (64/100, inferred): The review text is unavailable behind the access wall, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or criticism is visible in the accessible material. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/over-the-hedge/4027072.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page does not expose the critic’s verdict or any specific praise or complaint. Its text contains only a JavaScript notice, so those details cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/movies/19hedg.html?_r=0)
- **Time Out**, Derek Adams (64/100, inferred): The available excerpt questions whether the film will be vacuous comic shtick, but does not reveal the critic’s final verdict. It provides no specific element singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/over-the-hedge-1)
- **Radio Times**, Stella Papamichael (3/5): Papamichael finds the animated adventure fun despite its predictable lesson in family values. She praises its cute critters, clever dialogue and fast-paced action, along with Bruce Willis leading a strong voice cast. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ob4aho/over-the-hedge/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (2/4): Schager finds the film timid and only intermittently funny, faulting it for trading the comic strip’s observational wit for action set pieces. He praises an early montage about human consumption but says the film fails to develop its satirical premise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/over-the-hedge/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (40/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the comedy patchy, with some fun once its cumbersome opening is out of the way. He praises its satire of wasteful American consumerism, but says DreamWorks has not brought its best effort. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2006/jun/30/3)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (35/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film a middling, conventional effort that lacks the inventiveness and delight of the best computer animation. He praises the late-on fun of the Verminator’s elaborate pest-control schemes, but faults the character design and predictable writing. [Read](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/over-the-hedge-1200516490/)
- **Eye for Film**, John Gallagher (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film consistently cute and funny, recommending it to viewers looking for laughs. They especially praise the many memorable animal characters and their performances. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/over-the-hedge-film-review-by-john-gallagher)
- **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (75/100, inferred): The review finds the film entertaining despite its familiar, minimal storyline. It particularly praises Steve Carell’s performance as Hammy and the animation’s expressive facial work. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a34144/over-the-hedge/)

## Details

- **Director:** Karey Kirkpatrick, Tim Johnson
- **Director:** Karey Kirkpatrick, Tim Johnson
- **Screenplay:** Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, Karey Kirkpatrick
- **Editor:** John K. Carr
- **Music:** Rupert Gregson-Williams
- **Production design:** Kathy Altieri
- **Costume design:** Jane Poole
- **Producer:** Bonnie Arnold, Christian Kubsch
- **Cast:** Bruce Willis as RJ (voice); Garry Shandling as Verne (voice); Steve Carell as Hammy (voice); Wanda Sykes as Stella (voice); William Shatner as Ozzie (voice); Nick Nolte as Vincent (voice); Thomas Haden Church as Dwayne (voice); Allison Janney as Gladys (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 23m
- **Release (Peru):** 7 November 2006
- **Genres:** Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
- **Budget:** $80 million
- **Box office:** $343 million

## Where to watch in Peru

Not streaming, renting or buying in Peru at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2007: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2006: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2006: Best Animated Feature (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Fantastic Mr. Fox* (2009), Fi1m 84: More animal scheming, with drier jokes and a less tidy family. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-mr-fox.md)
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: An unlikely animal friendship, handled with warmth and room to breathe. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md)
- *A Town Called Panic* (2009): For anyone who would happily let the supporting lunatics take charge.
- *Shaun the Sheep Movie* (2015), Fi1m 80: Another animal expedition into human territory, told through carefully built visual jokes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-movie.md)
- *The Incredible Journey* (1963): A quieter animal adventure that gives companionship time to matter.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/over-the-hedge