Delayed Reaction: Over the Hedge

The Pitch: You know, I bet animals don't like the suburbs. I wonder how they'd get revenge.

What Took Me So Long: I think it's really as simple as I don't go out of my way for Dreamworks Movies.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) Ben Folds did do the sound track. Listening to the lyric changes in "Rockin' the Suburbs" almost make the whole thing worth it. Dreamworks Animation, the constant starfuckers that they are actually put together a wonderfully eclectic voice cast. Gary Shandling is an underused voice in animation. A hungry Steve Carrell (still basking in the success of 40 Year Old Virgin) brings a lot of energy. Alison Janney livens up an otherwise generic antagonist role.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: Dreamworks handles the extremes better. Either go for a joke a minute like Shrek or a ton of heart like How to Train Your Dragon. When it aims for the middle like this, it falls short on both ends. This is a nice movie, but there also a reason why I've never heard someone say "you really need to see Over the Hedge",

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend