Rated PG for some rude humor and mild comic action.
Directed by Tim Johnson (Antz), Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring the voices of Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte…
This film grew on me.
I saw the film with my kids. I have to admit… it was a little slow at the beginning. But once RJ meets the others at the hedge, the film gets interesting.
The story is about a raccoon named RJ who cons a group of animals to help him collect human snack food that he needs to repay to a bear.
This is one of those films that you’ll find yourself quoting a day later. My kids and I still quote Hammy the squirrel to this day. (“But I like the cookie.”)
The film was entertaining with some really funny gags. And the performances were spectacular… but what do you expect from this cast?
A good family film.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The film was mostly clean… I say “mostly” because it went the route of so many other animated films today (Shrek, Shark Tale) and threw in a few questionable innuendos as well as some potty humor. For example: RJ tells the other animals that if they encounter a human, they should lie down, roll over and give their privates a good licking. A fact of nature? Yes. Raunchy? Also yes. Or Hammy the squirrel asks RJ, “Wanna help me find my nuts?”
Parents might want to consider the lines that their kids might be quoting as they walk out of the film.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
