Over the Hedge

Over the Hedge jumps waaay over the top on the laugh meter. Yeah, it's another animated flick about a bunch of furry animals, but this engaging suburban creature feature has a script that is genuinely smart and amusing. In the clever plot, spring has arrived and a whole group of unsuspecting barnyard types wake from their hibernation to find that their paradise has been converted into a nightmare of garish homes populated by obnoxious people. When the enterprising and manipulative raccoon R.J. leads the beastly brigade right into the shiny new backyards in search of vittles, all hell breaks loose. The character work here, led by Bruce Willis and Nick Nolte, is outstanding and vaults this flick into a class of its own. Round it out with Steve Carell as a ditzy squirrel, Wanda Sykes as a street-smart skunk, and William Shatner as a possum and you've got a rare family movie adults might find themselves actually dragging the kids to for a change. Trust us—this movie should be in the Funny Hall of Fame.