“Rabbits are generous, honest, pure graceful creatures.” (Bea)
While this is true of most, not so much for the mischievous, rebel rabbit by the name of Peter Rabbit (James Corden), who is always out to get Mr. McGregor’s garden.
The childhood tale by English author Beatrix Potter has arrived to the theaters with adults and kids alike rushing to see the mischievous rabbit. Peter Rabbit follows the adventures of Peter, his sisters Flopsy (Margot Robbie), Mopsy (Elizabeth Debicki), and Cottontail (Daisy Ridley), and their cousin Benjamin Bunny (Colin Moody) as they adapt after the loss of their mother and father. The friendly young woman, Beatrix (Rose Byrne), is fascinated with all wildlife, especially the young rabbits and takes to protecting them, especially from her old neighbor, Mr. McGregor. But there is one problem, Mr. McGregor’s garden is all so appealing to Peter, especially being tempted to venture inside to steal the fresh fruits and veggies. Eventually, Mr. McGregor passes away and Peter and the rest of the animals think they have won until Mr. McGregor’s nephew Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson) moves in to reclaim his uncle’s property. Now it’s a battle of man versus rabbit to see just who gets the land as well as the love of the next door neighbor Bea, who has quickly fallen for the new young McGregor.
Overall, Peter Rabbit is a fun movie for all ages, as kids will love the colorful, yet mischievous animals and adults will appreciate nostalgia of the classic childhood story that they might have grown up with. The writers (Rob Lieber and director Will Gluck) stayed true to the original manuscript of the book that was published back in 1903, with a few liberties of course – the main liberty being the romance between the new McGregor and Bea. There is also a little comic relief in a wise cracking rooster that answers the question as to why a rooster crows every morning when the sun comes up, making audiences chuckle at the silliness. As far as the acting with the animated rabbits, the staging was spot on and it seemed as though the real life actors were actually interacting with the animals in the moment.
Verdict: 5 out of 5
Peter Rabbit is a film that no matter how old or young one is, everyone should enjoy it for its cleverness and charm. It stands up against the previous storybook to be brought to the big screen, Munro Leaf’s Ferdinand, and is definitely worth seeing. Peter Rabbit came out in theaters February 9 and is currently playing in a theater near you.