When RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis) is caught pilfering Vincent the bear's (Nick Nolte) mountainous pile of treasured goodies - junk food stored for his post-hibernation feast - he desperately negociates for his life, promising Vincent the impossible to replace everything within a week.Meanwhile, the bucolic life of a group of innocent forest dwellers is shattered when they awake from their hibernation to discover their forst has been invaded by a horrifying alien presence: the 'burbs'.Not knowing anything about humans, Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling) ventures into a backyard only to encounter the horrors of the suburban living. When Verne, the neurotic and overprotective leader of the forest gang, returns to the meadow, he vows they will never venture 'over the hedge' again.But RJ has different ideas. The suburb is the only place on earth with enough junk food to satisfy Vincent the Bear. And he also sees in the little forest gang exactly what he needs: lots more hands for replenishing the bear's food supply.