Hop is all about achieving one's dreams, regardless of how fantastical those dreams may seem. Hidden deep inside the mouth of a moai statue on Easter Island is a candy factory that produces the world's Easter candy and looks like a cross between Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and Santa's Workshop. The Easter Bunny and a very bossy chick foreman named Carlos take their responsibility to make Easter happen very seriously. But the Easter Bunny's son E.B. dreams not of taking his rightful place as the next Easter Bunny, but of becoming a famous drummer--a situation that his father finds highly disappointing. In the human world, Fred O'Hare is also a disappointment to his father; he's a young man who can't seem to find a job that he's passionate about--indeed, he's a slacker who can't seem to find any job at all. E.B. and Fred meet on the streets of Hollywood and become unlikely roommates in a borrowed mansion. As the two struggle to find and pursue their dreams, hilarity ensues and each character learns a surprising lesson from the other. Hop is full of comic moments that include a bunny that poops jellybeans, chicks that shout through "eggaphones," and an elite bunny force known as the "pink berets." The premise of the story is a lot like director Tim Hill's earlier Alvin and the Chipmunks films--a man without direction finds his purpose through an unlikely relationship with a cute talking animal after enduring lots of big messes and plenty of silly slapstick humor. The main difference is that in this film, energetic drum solos replace the high-pitched, sped-up singing of little chipmunks. The combined animation and live action is deftly handled by Chris Meledandri's Illumination (Despicable Me). Hop is a film full of silly antics and some good chuckles--it's not deep, but kids ages 7 and older, as well as adults, should enjoy it.
Actors: James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, Russell Brand
Directors: Tim Hill
