The kiddos and I watched this bizarre film mostly because we're into rabbits. It's also of interest as Illumination's 2nd effort, and a relatively rare example of mixed live action/animation. Unfortunately this approach doesn't work so well when the actors aren't very good, and we're not dealing with Mary Poppins here...Anyway, though you wouldn't know it from the title, Hop is actually about the Easter Bunny, a position which apparently rotates, and is not, a priori, restricted to rabbits. The current Easter Bunny, a somewhat pompous Victorian-style rabbit (probably modeled after the one from Alice in Wonderland) wants to pass on his job to his son ("E. B."), who would rather be a drummer in a rock-and-roll band.
Please note that the secret international Easter Bunny headquarters is on Easter Island, and is staffed not only by rabbits, but also chicks, one of whom, "Carlos", wants to become the new Easter Bunny. The Easter industrial complex is indeed in full effect. The expected heir, meanwhile, has run away (well, tunneled away) and befriended a befuddled young adult, Fred, who still lives with his parents and avoids job interviews. Eventually, Fred and E. B. come to understand and support each other, together foiling Carlos' coup attempt, after which Fred becomes the first human Easter Bunny. Cool story, bro. All in all, very sub-par, but the kiddos were fascinated with it, and I've rarely seen them laugh as hard as at the scene in which Fred pretends to be ventriloquizing with E. B. while the two crash his little sister's elementary school Easter pageant (are Easter pageants a thing?). I admit, I laughed as well, but it was way too cringeworthy for my taste. There was also not a single positive role model, not a good thing for a children's film. The kiddos couldn't perceive this, of course, but I thought the humor and underlying premise were excessively mean-spirited: many millennials post-2008 (the movie is 2011) surely did not appreciate the characterization of Fred.
OK, I've written way more about this silly movie than I intended! And now back to the book, articles, and text editions...
Please note that the secret international Easter Bunny headquarters is on Easter Island, and is staffed not only by rabbits, but also chicks, one of whom, "Carlos", wants to become the new Easter Bunny. The Easter industrial complex is indeed in full effect. The expected heir, meanwhile, has run away (well, tunneled away) and befriended a befuddled young adult, Fred, who still lives with his parents and avoids job interviews. Eventually, Fred and E. B. come to understand and support each other, together foiling Carlos' coup attempt, after which Fred becomes the first human Easter Bunny. Cool story, bro. All in all, very sub-par, but the kiddos were fascinated with it, and I've rarely seen them laugh as hard as at the scene in which Fred pretends to be ventriloquizing with E. B. while the two crash his little sister's elementary school Easter pageant (are Easter pageants a thing?). I admit, I laughed as well, but it was way too cringeworthy for my taste. There was also not a single positive role model, not a good thing for a children's film. The kiddos couldn't perceive this, of course, but I thought the humor and underlying premise were excessively mean-spirited: many millennials post-2008 (the movie is 2011) surely did not appreciate the characterization of Fred.
OK, I've written way more about this silly movie than I intended! And now back to the book, articles, and text editions...