Overall HOP is a huge disappointment made irritating by boring Brand. Clever casting with appealing James Marsden helps but his family scenes are uniformly weak, and play like bad 60s TV scenes we all groaned about in the original Bewitched. The visuals with CGI bunnies and the Easter Island Wonka factory is fun but it all continually falls short of amounting to anything. I have no clue as to why he is being promoted as funny or interesting. While technically amazing HOP is filled with unfinished scenes, unfulfilled moments, characters who amount to nothing, silly dumb scenes that go nowhere and worst of all the tediously unfunny Russell Brand. All in all, cute and funny seasonal entertainment for the family. And there is also a lively vocal cast, headed by a very vivacious Russell Brand as EB and Hugh Laurie who is rock solid as always as his dad, while Hank Azaria is outstanding in a dual role particularly as Carlos. James Marsden manages to be likable without being bland, and Elizabeth Perkins is lovely to watch. Tim Hill's direction is above serviceable, and the acting is well done. The characters are all likable and engaging, more the animated characters than the live-action characters admittedly, EB is a zany and endearing protagonist especially. While not the most original story in the world, it is a polished and fun one that is fast-paced and entertaining throughout and because of its sophistication it appeals to adults as well as kids. The script has some funny and witty lines too, with Carlos having the best and most memorable. Also the running gag about Hugh Hefner and the altogether different kind of bunny didn't bother me at all, but I can see why some may find it questionable. If anything, to be light with that kind of humour was a strength as Hop wasn't really about that. The writing is funny and smart, people might argue there aren't enough pop-culture references to satisfy adults, maybe so but as an 18 year old female the lack of emphasis on pop-culture references didn't bother me as I have seen some animated films and shows where it goes overboard with references that are either dated or distract from the film completely. Hop also benefits from a bright and breezy soundtrack, and a jaunty score by Chris Lennertz that fit with the tone of the film very well. The animation is great, with vibrant colours and bright backgrounds and the bunnies and chicks look absolutely adorable, and the live-action sequences with its striking locations and crisp editing are equally lovingly rendered. In my mind, when it comes to part-animated/live-action comedies, Hop is one of the better ones, much better than the Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks movies anyway. However, Hop is a perfect example of a film that ticks most of the right boxes when it comes to a family movie. Also, while the pace in general is fast and brisk, there is the odd occasion in the film where it could have slowed down a little to give the audience a little more room to breathe. I personally would have liked Hop to have been longer by about three or four minutes, that way some of the human characters could have been developed a little more. As a family movie, Hop is cute and funny entertainment for both kids and adults. And I am glad I did, as for Easter this is a treat for the whole family with a lot to like. Hop was a film that I saw advertised earlier this week, and was immediately interested in seeing it.
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