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Movie review: Hop
THE EASTER BUNNY with JAMES MARSDEN starring in the new film Hop opening April Fool’s Day.
Hop: The Easter Bunny Gets Remade in the Image of Santa
By Sandra Olmsted
Director Tim Hill’s Hop is a secular delight meant only to skim the surface of such pressing questions as “why a Easter bunny and not a chicken?” and where Jelly Beans come from, and not to plumb the depths of resurrection and redemption. However, two sons, Fred O’Hare (James Marsden), the human, and EB (voice of Russell Brand), the heir apparent to the Easter Bunny, do redeem themselves in the eyes of their respective fathers.
Slacker Fred still lives happily at home, sponging off his parents, Henry and Bonnie O’Hare (Gary Cole and Elizabeth Perkins) until they Fred’s overachieving sisters, Sam (Kaley Cuoco) and Alex (Tiffany Espensen) join force for a tough-love intervention, and Fred finds himself on the street. Luckily, Sam finds Fred a mansion-sitting gig and a job interview. Meanwhile, EB runs away from his induction ceremony and comes to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a famous drummer in a rock band.
On his way to the job interview he must ace to earn the respect of his dad, Fred sort of runs over EB, who then convinces the gullible Fred to help him because of the near miss and EB being the Easter bunny. Of course, Fred blindly obeys and feels he is thereafter completely responsible for and must fix or prevent everything EB screws up, which is everything. The story flaw of never explaining why Fred must fix or prevent EB’s screw ups makes most of what follows less than credible, even in a kids’ film.
The third plotline evolves a coup d’état in the works back in the rabbit warren of Daddy Easter Bunny (voice of Hugh Laurie). This rabbit warren, which is under Easter Island, is magical world where Easter candy is produced by an army of little yellow chicks, who seem recycled Minions from the filmmakers much better film, Despicable Me. Carlos (voice of Hank Azaria), a large chick who is the foreman of the Easter candy factory, has coveted the job of Easter Bunny for years, and EB’s sudden departure is just the power vacuum Carlos has been seeking. With the help of Phil, the compulsively dancing chick, (also voice of Azaria), Carlos stages his coup d’état. Since the film opens with Fred telling the audience he becomes the first human Easter Bunny, not much more about the plot has to be said.
Realistically, Hop is just a reworking of The Santa Clause I and II with the Easter Bunny driving a faberge egg-shaped sleigh to deliver candy and having a team of elite commandos, the Pink Berets, who are sent to bring EB home. Of course, the appearance of the Pink Berets in the real world leads to more complications for Fred.
The candy-laden warren of the Easter Bunny is gorgeous and not the visually dark world of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory although Carlos, who a dictator in the making, and his coup d’état isn’t light. Carlos, fortunately, is also a little inept, so he is, unfortunately, never a real threat, and Easter deliveries of candy never feel really endanger of being replaced with nice juicy worms.
Some of the good points are the smooth combination of animation with live action and several inspired scenes of EB playing music. Look for EB sneaking into a jam section with blind musicians. There are also the themes of forgiveness and acceptance and a slight nod to St. Luke’s parable of the prodigal son.
The best thing about the film is the ability to make one want Easter Candy, and Hershey, who is mentioned in the credits at the end and holds the license to produce Cadbury chocolate in the US, would be glad to know it was Mini Eggs I bought afterwards. Also, since the Easter Bunny apparently “lays” jelly beans, I predict that jelly bean sales will drop. A Universal Pictures release, Hop runs 90 minutes and is rated PG for some mild rude humor. Hop opens in theaters tomorrow, Friday, April 1!
