Hop

(G) Universal DVD/BD

The concept of the Easter Bunny throwing in the towel and becoming a drummer is possibly the dream of Christendom. That way, the real meaning of Easter would be free of it commercial excesses.

This is exactly the premise of Hop, made by the people who gave us the much better Despicable Me.

E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) is a teenage tear-away who wants to leave the family business (delivering Easter eggs) and pursue his dream.

Out-of-work Fred (James Marsden) runs into E.B. who manipulates Fred into giving him somewhere to stay while he realises his musical future.

This film is made by Tim Hill, the guy who made Alvin and the Chipmunks — so thematically he hasn’t strayed from the guy-who-houses-meddlesome-rodent-houseguests-who-cause-havoc premise. The only difference being the rodent.

As with all of these sorts of live action/animation blended films it’s the flesh and blood actors one feels sorriest for. Marsden seems game for it but you just know he’d rather be performing Shakespeare or washing his hair.

Unremarkable, this film is not unlike a chocolate egg: once you consume it you’re onto the next one. Pass.

Adrian Drayton