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'Peter Rabbit' Film Review: It's Humans Versus Bunnies, in This Fast and Furry-ous Reimagining of Beatrix Potter's Timeless Classic
February 6, 2018Ferdosa Abdi
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Peter Rabbit is a delightful reimagination of the famous literary bunny by Beatrix Potter. Director Will Gluck's animated movie features a charismatic group of voice actors, plus strong performances from the leading human characters. James Corden voices the mischievous Peter Rabbit, and his sisters, Cotton-Tail, Flopsy and Mopsy, are voiced by the impeccable trio of Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debecki, while Peter's cousin, Benjamin Bunny, is voiced by Matt Lucas. Meanwhile, playing the human leads are Rose Byrne as Bea, whose character is inspired by Potter herself, and Domhnall Gleeson as Thomas McGregor, Peter's nemesis. Gluck and co-writer Rob Lieber's script follows Peter and his family and friends as they attempt to reclaim their garden since being ousted by the nasty Old Mr. McGregor (Sam Neill). One day, though, Peter goes too far in his messing with McGregor and nearly gets caught. However, luck is on his side and McGregor has a heart attack. Peter believes he has won, but unfortunately McGregor has a nephew, Thomas, who comes in from the big city to take his uncle's place, and that's where our story really begins. The battle between Thomas and Peter is very entertaining, and as the centerpiece of the film, it does not disappoint. The movie does not follow traditional adaptations of children's literary characters, however. On the contrary, Peter Rabbit is very aware that it is a film, meaning that its characters routinely break the fourth wall, there's narration (also by Robbie) explaining the movie's more contrived plot points, and characters knowingly drop chunks of exposition with a wink and a nod. The result is arguably a far cry from Potter's original vision for the Peter Rabbit character, but just as with the new Paddington films, the update is more than welcome. Peter Rabbit releases February 9th, 2018 from Sony Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of PG for some rude humor and action. Its runtime is 1 hr. 33 min. |
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