In Hedgehogs, Bobby the hedgehog is overly bold. When he is far from home, he has to teach a timid tribe of hedgehogs how to put spines up and fight for their homeland. Check out Kidzworld’s review.
By: Lynn Barker
A tribe of Hedgehogs lives on Yummy Fruit Mountain and young Bobby (voice of Anthony Padilla) always wins the yearly race to capture the best fruit at the top of the mountain but local badger Maddox (voice of Ian Hecox) wants it and, when fighting, the two tumble onto a passing train. Will either survive in a totally new world?
Bobby plans to get to the best fruit on the tree
Fruit Competition
On Yummy Fruit Mountain, the yearly competition is on to get the best fruit from a tree atop the mountain. Young, cocky hedgehog Bobby is faster and smarter and wins as usual but bad-tempered badger Maddox wants the fruit and the two fight and tumble onto a passing train. Bobby is knocked out and wakes with a huge, fat pigeon named Hubert (voice of Jon Heder) looking down at him. Bobby has lost his memory!
Maddox wants the yummy fruit
Who Am I?
Bobby doesn’t know where he’s from or even that he is a hedgehog. Hubert and his flock have never seen anything like him. They think he’s a weird-looking bird. Hubert befriends him and makes him wings to wear so that he fits in. Things go sour when Bobby and Hubert are captured and taken to a lab. There is a horrible virus that humans believe is carried by animals. Young animal activist Scott (voice of Max Mittleman) wants to test some animals to make sure they aren’t carriers but evil scientist and businessman ThinkMan (voice of Chevy Chase) just wants to kill as many as he can.
Scott befriends Bobby
Escape
The duo escape the lab and Maddox, who has followed them, tells Bobby he is a hedgehog from Yummy Fruit Mountain. Hubert goes off on his own and meets pretty crow Leila (voice of Kari Wahlgren) while Bobby looks for fruit, tries to remember home and avoids re-capture. Scott, meaning well, brings Bobby to ThinkMan’s lab where he is fitted with a tracking device Scott invented. Bobby again escapes with the help of Hubert.
ThinkMan wants the animals killed
Colosseum Forest
Thinking an abandoned sports colosseum with trees and fruit might be home, Bobby leads Hubert to the area but they discover a tribe of hedgehogs sworn to never use their spines and hide rather than fight. Complicating matters is the fact the Bobby falls for their “Princess”, Rose (voice of Jenn McAllister) whose dad is the tribal chief. Bobby is told to never go “spines up”. The tribe stays safe by hiding and not fighting back. This eventually results in brave Bobby getting kicked out despite the fact that he and Rose are in love.
Bobby falls for pretty Rose
Humans Attack
Finally, the tracking device leads ThinkMan’s men to the forest. Bobby convinces the hedgehogs to use their spines to fight. Maddox joins up with them as do Hubert and flock, turtles, bees, dogs and other animals. Scott helps as well. The humans are driven away but ThinkMan returns driving a large shovel machine and starts digging up the forest. Can Bobby and gang win against him? Will the pubic find out that animals aren’t responsible for the virus they fear? Will the critters find a new home?
Hubert and bird friends join the fight
Wrapping Up
Overall Hedgehogs is a cute animated film but the pace is quite slow at times and we’ve seen the “animals’ homeland attacked by men and machines” story a lot before. The movie could use more humor, good jokes, better animated action and more stand-out voice actors.
Bobby and Rose fall in love
The message that we should be true to ourselves, take advantage of our strengths and also be team players is a good one and the film is family-friendly enough for the holidays. We can go three stars.
Hedgehogs Movie Rating: 
Hedgehogs Movie Poster
See Hedgehogs in selected theaters and On Demand, December 15th
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