Santa Claus has had it too good for too long. Every year we seem to get a bunch of films that feature the jolly, fat bloke but now the Easter Bunny is fighting back with getting a film of his own, with the very lovable and cute Hop… an animated film that outshines Yogi Bear in its mash of animated characters and real-life actors.
Hop tells the story of two main characters. Firstly there is a young rabbit named E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand – Arthur, The Tempest) who is destined to become the next Easter Bunny… there is only one problem it’s not the job he wants to do. He wants to become a famous drummer, but his father (Hugh Laurie – TV’S House & The Simpsons) has other ideas. In the end E.B. decides it’s just easier to run away to Hollywood. Enter, Fred O’Hare (James Marsden – Straw Dogs, TV’S Modern Family) a young man who is currently in-between jobs. His father, Henry (Gary Cole – TV’S Family Guy & Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated) his ashamed of him and wants to take any job available, while his sister, Sam (Kaley Cuoco – Erica, Kieran and Lexi, TV’S The Big Bang Theory) tries to help him out with his dream job. When Fred and E.B. meet neither of their lives with ever be the same again… add to the fact that Carlos (Hank Azaria – Love And Other Drugs, TV’S The Simpsons) wants to take over Easter and become the Easter Chicken and there’s fun times ahead.
Hop works because director, Tim Hill (Alvin & The Chipmunks, Garfield 2) and his team of writers didn’t fall into the same trap as the team on Yogi Bear. Hill remembered that adults would be watching this film as well and made sure the film didn’t dip into the ‘just-for-kids pile’. Sure, sometimes it is obvious that Marseden and Cuoco’s lines have been ‘dumbed’ down so they are understood by kids but generally the film’s storyline is so involving that adults are sucked in as well. The script also allows for character development meaning that you do actually begin to care what happens to E.B. and Fred. Even the final ‘battle’ scene doesn’t get clichéd, so you can only say it is a big thumbs up for the whole team.
As I mentioned earlier Marsden and Cuoco’s performances are held back by the fact they are acting for kids but both pull it off remarkable well, but even they out-classed by the lovable rabbit, E.B., brilliantly voiced by Russell Brand who is showing himself to be a real talent… and seems to be silencing his critics. His cameo in Hop works remarably well, as does David Hasselhoff’s (TV’S Naughty But Nice With Rob Shuter & The Young And The Restless). Neither cameo feels forced and both are hilarious… now you can’t say that about many cameos these days.
Superbly animated Hop is the kind of film that is loved by people of all ages, and it certainly isn’t the disappointment that many thought it would be. Hop simply has to be on your ‘to-do’ list this Easter.
Year: 2011
Director: Tim Hill
Stars: Russell Brand, Hugh Laurie, James Marsden, Gary Cole, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, David Hasselhoff
Classification: G
Runtime: 95 mins
Rating:
