Russell Brand stars in HOP Movie Review #HOPtoit @ebhop

HOP is a comedy about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. He encounters Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals, who accidentally hits E.B. with his car. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred into providing him shelter, and Fred finds himself with the world’s worst houseguest.

The film is  helmed by Tim Hill, director of the blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks and produced by Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me).

I will admit that I did not have high hopes for this movie as I am not a big fan of blending live action and art animation as it was done in Alvin and the Chipmunks. I am going against the flow on this, I know but I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the movie.

 

What I loved about HOP the Movie:

• Russell Brand, Russell Brand, Russell Brand – yes, the Easter Bunny has to be English right and his voice and comedic timing is what makes this movie – I could listen to him all day. Truly funny.
• James Marsden (aka Cyclops from the X-Men movies) actually plays a good straight man. I was nervous from what I saw in the trailer but he brings it.
• The plot is original with Easter Bunny history and the fact that they live on Easter Island (good opportunity to introduce geography with your child) is wonderfully brilliant. I liked that they blended in the follow your dreams plotline.
• Good stunt casting – don’t want to give it away but Chelsea Handler and David Hasselhoff make appearances. The Hoff pretty much plays himself but it works.
• Like the product integration – I can’t stand when movies just blatantly throw products in our face but Hersheys kisses are integrated but without hitting us over the head.
• It was actually funny, I laughed a lot, there was a lot of slapstick but cute.
• The Pink Berets the Easter Bunny’s elite forces.  Biven that this is the same team that brought us the Chipettes from Alvin and the Chipmunks, not a surprise on the same them.
• The production quality is amazing, the colors of the movie really pop.
• Blending live action and real life was done really well.
• And oh did I mention Russell Brand, without him and his comedic timing, this movie would be dead in the water.
• Great use of music across all genres.  Any movie that uses Poison’s Every Rose has A Thorn, We Speak No Americano and I  Want Candy gets a thumbs up in my book.

What I did not like about HOP, the movie:

• Why don’t the Pink Berets, the Easter Bunny’s elite force ever talk. Weird.
• The passing adoption reference really disturbed me. During an intervention with Fred, the main character and slacker, they have an intervention where the family basically tells him to get a job and move out. The family includes an adopted child from China (let’s assume this because everyone else is white) says the reason she was adopted because the son was such a disappointment. WTF! and then no one says anything. What kind of message is that? “Let’s adopt because one of our kids is a loser.

Needless to say, this was a wonderfully funny movie that I would recommend and the movie trailer really does not do it justice.

And final note, so happy it was not in 3-D.

Since this was a preview, there were characters from the movie which made the movie much more memorable.

For more info on the film please check out all the HOP websites!

Official Website
Twitter
“Like” on Facebook
HOP on YouTube

Disclosure: NYC Single Mom received was not compensated for this review and was invited to a private screening by Social Moms.