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'Over the Hedge' is typical animated summer fare

It's summer on Hollywood's calendar again, which means funny animals getting into computer-generated high jinks. This time, they're in "Over the Hedge," based on the comic strip penned by Austin's Mike Fry (and illustrated by T Lewis). In Fry's view, hunter-gatherer critters are the perfect jesters to mock the wasteful ways of self-indulgent Americans.

DreamWorks SKG 'Over the Hedge' 3 out of 5 stars The verdict: Likeable enough. Directors: Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick Starring: Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Avril Lavigne Run time: 84 minutes Release date: May 19, 2006 Rating: PG for some rude humor and mild comic action. See showtimes From the funny pages... The Austin American-Statesman interviews the Texas cartoonist who started it all. On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'Over the Hedge' Go see it 65.53% 211 Make it a matinee 18.32% 59 Wait to rent 10.87% 35 Don't bother 5.28% 17

But "Hedge" is no Al Gore conservationalist sermon (Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," is a few weeks away). Any social message here is just a thin nail on which to hang a story about a rascally raccoon (RJ, voiced by Bruce Willis) who cons a sweet bunch of forest animals into boosting loads of groceries from the local subdivision. They think they're loading up on provisions for the hibernation season, but RJ intends to use the whole stash to pay off his debt to an angry bear.

Ads boasting "from the creators of 'Shrek'" imply that the film has more personality than it does (and it's kind of a drag to see Ben Folds already entering that Elton John/Phil Collins phase of his career, where he pens tunes to accompany cartoon montages), but "Hedge" has plenty of gags to keep youngsters interested.

It's likeable enough for their parents, as well, and offers a few things that might actually perk them up. Casting of some small parts — Nick Nolte as a grizzly whose hibernation is disturbed, William Shatner hamming up multiple death scenes as a possum — is witty, but by far the highlight is Steve Carell, playing a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy. Carell doesn't get nearly enough to do, but the animators make the most of the chirpy, scene-stealing moments they get with him.