Over the Hedge on DVD

My roommate bought Over the Hedge on dvd the other day.  I saw it when it was in theaters and we have watched it twice since the purchase.   I have enjoyed it every single time.  It is by no means the caliber of other CGI films like those in the Shrek series or The Incredibles.  It does, however, accomplish the one goal that all movies set out to do, and that is entertain.  This movie is just pure fun.  It doesn't require you to turn your brain off like "Dude, Where's My Car", but you can't overanalyze it either.  You won't ever see a turtle, a squirrel, a skunk,  and a family of porcuipines living together in nature, but with this movie you just have to roll with it.  

In the movie the aforesaid animals awaken from hibernation to find that their home has been built over for a suburban community.  Dividing their small remaining neck of the woods from the newly arrived humans is an immense hedge which they name "Steve" in order to alleviate their inital fear of it.  Enter RJ, the smooth talking Music Man-esque raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis, who coaxes them into taking advantage of the development by purloining the human's abundant food supply.  The montage where RJ explains the human/food dynamic is quite amusing to watch.  He seals the deal by giving them a sample of the bounty via a bag of potato chips.   RJ does this, not out of the goodness of his heart, but to use them to help him acquire food to pay back a bear who he tried to steal from early on in the film. 

Despite the trepidation of leader, Verne the turtle (voiced by Gary Shandling), the group embark on a series of heists that results in a quick accumulation of junk food.  The group welcomes RJ in as a member of their "family" which causes RJ to have a minor crisis of conscience.