"Hop" takes us into the magical world of the Easter Bunny, which is admittedly similar to Santa's Workshop, it seems: there is a gigantic factory where the candy is made, and then the Easter Bunny delivers it to the children of the world on Easter. What some may not know, however, is that the rabbits behind Easter can talk, and some even have ambitions to be more than "just" the Easter Bunny.
E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek") has known ever since he was a young rabbit that he will one day take over as Easter Bunny from his father (voiced by Hugh Laurie, TV's "House"). When the day actually arrives, however, he doesn't want the "crown," so to speak; he loves drumming and wants to one day be drummer in a band, which he can't do if he has to take on the responsibilities of the Easter Bunny. Therefore, E.B. takes an unscheduled trip down the rabbit hole to Hollywood, where he knows he may have a chance to make it big. Unfortunately, he gets hit by a car, driven by Fred (James Marsden, "Death at a Funeral"), who almost has a heart attack when he realizes he has just hit a talking bunny. Fred is currently unemployed and house-sitting a Beverly Hills mansion for his sister, Samantha (Kaley Cuoco, TV's "The Big Bang Theory"), whose boss is out of town, and E.B. asks if he can crash there for a bit while he tries to find a drumming job. Fred has no choice but to let him, and thus begins their friendship of sorts.
Meanwhile, back at the candy factory, Carlos, the Easter Bunny's second-in-command, wants to be the Easter Bunny's successor. There's only one problem: Carlos is a chick, and the Easter Bunny has mandated that only rabbits can do his job. Carlos is not too happy with this and soon finds a way to overthrow the Easter Bunny, with the help of his chick friends, but he doesn't count on E.B. eventually returning to the factory and throwing a wrench into his plans.
Yes, see this film. The movie was hilarious, although some scenes were a bit too cheesy/"over the top" for my taste. It's always interesting to see a mix of live action and animated, which I had only previously seen in the movie "Enchanted" with Amy Adams, and "Hop" does a great job of blending these. The candy factory reminded me a bit of Santa's Workshop, with the chicks as reindeer, and they actually help power the carriage that takes the Easter Bunny around the world on Easter as he delivers his treats. E.B. and Marsden's character are very similar in that they both have fathers who are disappointed in them, and who want them to gain employment (although in E.B.'s case, he already has a "life of privilege," as Carlos puts it, as he is his father's heir to be the Easter Bunny). The film has many "laugh out loud" moments and for the most part is funny throughout, and I believe it will appeal to both kids and adults this Easter season.
"Hop" is in theaters today, April 1st.
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Liz Parker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan. She currently works as an Assistant Medical Editor for a pathology website. Visit her at her movie blog Yes/No Films
