If you enjoy angsty teenage bunnies, James Marsden’s hotness, or escaping your crazy family on Easter weekend, “Hop” is the movie for you. This CGI-animated / live-action movie features the voice talents of Russell Brand and Hugh Laurie, alongside appearances by James Marsden, David Hasslehoff and Hugh Hefner. “Hop” is the perfect combination of hilarity and a story about following your dreams.
The story begins with young E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) who is the Easter Bunny’s son. It is almost time for E.B. to be crowned the official Easter Bunny, but having that much responsibility and stress isn’t really E.B.’s cup of tea. All he wants to do is become a world famous drummer, something he is not too shabby at. The Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie), doesn’t approve of his son’s ambitions, and demands that his son step up to the plate and give up drumming. E.B. gets upset, and decides to pursue his musical dreams in Hollywood, running away from his home on Easter Island. (Heh. Punny.)
Here he meets Fred (James Marsden), a typical man-child who has been living with his parents ever since he was laid off over a year previous. Like E.B., Fred has not really found his niche in the world, and is not sure what he wants to do for the rest of his life. The two eventually become friends and get whisked away on the adventure of a lifetime.
Yes, the plot is a little beyond cheesy. But the situations the characters get themselves into in between all the events are really quite entertaining. It compares to “Shrek” in the way that it is a movie with a little something for everyone--not just kids. For example, the movie hilariously plays off the innocence of the concept of the Easter Bunny when E.B. first arrives in Hollywood and tries to get into the Playboy mansion (because he read it is where all the “sexy bunnies” live, and he truly believes that he too is a sexy bunny who needs a place to live).
"Hop" is a combination of live action and CGI animation, and it really works for this film. James Marsden has already had some experience acting alongside computer generated characters ("Enchanted") and his experience elevates the film above some of this year’s previous over-the top-cheesy animation / live-action films (cough cough, "Yogi Bear"). The computer animation is done really well, and the way the live-action portion of the film is incorporated makes the characters really come to life.
Surprisingly, the character that really comes across as the most hilarious is E.B., who is voiced by Russell Brand. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of Brand. In fact, I usually find him quite obnoxious and unfunny. This movie was truly an exception to this, though. The witty repartee and Brand’s quick quips had everyone in the theatre (myself included) in tears of laughter. It almost makes me want to forgive Brand’s terrible performance as a host at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Almost.
Understand this going into “Hop”: It is a G-rated movie. So if you want a movie that is satirically funny, and will go over the head of the average 6-year-old, I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you are like me, a connoisseur of animated movies who enjoys the nostalgia and innocent humor that comes with them, “Hop” is a pretty decent movie. It's not going to be categorized as a holiday classic alongside movies like “Peter Cottontail” or “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown”, but it is a fun and entertaining movie you won't feel awkward seeing with your younger siblings, grandma or parents.
But you'll never want to eat jellybeans ever again. Trust me.
photo courtesy of www.iwantcandy.com/