Over the Hedge is an energetic, funny and clever computer-animated movie, just the sort of movie you'd expect the makers of Shrek to come up with...

While Over the Hedge is never as good as most of the Pixar classics such as The Incredibles or Finding Nemo, it is better than the more bland recent CGI offerings such as The Wild and SharkTale.

It's best moments however are right at the start with some delicious satire on modern consumerism. In one scene the little furry animals gawp at an enormous SUV. ''How many people can they fit in it?'' the turtle asks. ''Usually just one,'' quips R.J., the cynical raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis.

Towards the end the movie eschews social commentary in favour of some Looney Tunes-inspired action sequences, but the point remains that the movie is colourful, vibrant and busy enough to keep the attention of small kids while throwing in some nice humour which only their parents will catch... and what more does one expect of any kiddies' movie nowadays? (It's more than one can say of the somewhat disappointing Cars.)