HOP

A long, long time ago, about 56 years to be exact, this writer remembers waking up on Easter morning and going into the living room to find a basket full of chocolate, jelly beans, marshmallow eggs that turned your mouth blue, hot pink, purple, orange, red, green or yellow, and a molded bunny that looked suspiciously like Peter Rabbit. Besides feeling like I’d immediately developed juvenile diabetes after eating most of the marshmallow eggs, it was one of my favorite holidays. My sister and I would get dressed up in our new duds which included white gloves, a hat, and patent leather mary janes, go to church and then head home to a dinner or to a relative’s house in Sedro Woolley for an Easter Egg hunt with my cousins, a whole bunch of cousins. HOP brought back those memories in full force.

Our hero, E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), is the son of the Easter Bunny and he has different ideas about his destiny, fame and fortune (cue the song “Bang On The Drum” by Todd Rundgren) instead of taking over the family business, you know, one night a year the Easter Bunny flies around the world delivering Easter eggs to all the children of the world, but he’s got chick power instead of reindeer. E.B. takes a powder from his responsibilities and heads to Hollywood to fulfill his dreams. In the path of his pursuit is one Fred O’Hare (James Marsden), his human counterpart. Fred has been out of work for a year, living at home with his folks and sisters…everyone is fed up and he’s sent packing to, of course, Beverly Hills. What ensues is funny, extremely colorful, and surprisingly, a satisfying comedy for both children and adults. Kids under the age of about 8, might not get the jokes and the “potty” humor is a bit twisted, but it’s well worth the time spent and you’ll never look at a jelly bean the same again. Rating 3 stars