Over the Hedge

Sometimes it's nice to see a movie that is just plain, simple fun. Over the Hedge is exactly that. From start to finish, although you won't necessarily be rolling in the aisles laughing, you will find yourself smiling and chuckling, just having a good time. It's a movie that you can recommend unreservedly to your grandmother but still enjoy yourself as a fun diversion.

One particular point I would highlight about the movie is the superb voice cast. With the advent of so many computer-animated movies in recent years, it has been fun to see how movie-makers have found voice actors who fit the animated characters so perfectly. Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Wanda Sykes, and Allison Janney (a favorite of mine from The West Wing) are great. But two of them stand out in particular. I'm a fan of William Shatner, simply because he doesn't take himself seriously. His portrayal of Ozzie the Possum is over-the-top and hilarious. But the show-stealer without question is Steve Carell and his voicing of Hammy the Squirrel ("will you help me find my nuts?"). Anything Steve Carell does is hilarious, and Hammy is just perfect in this movie.

So, for a great fun 90-minute laugh, see Over the Hedge. Oh, and stick around through the credits. The credits themselves are fun, and there's a cute tag scene at the very end.