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Peter Rabbit (2018), PG, ★★★


I'm not entirely familiar with Beatrix Potter's characters of rabbit figures but after watching Paddington 2, I'm hoping that filmmakers carry on that momentum of lovable animalistic characters. I did not expect to adore that sequel. I digress, so watching the trailer of Peter Rabbit, it looked cute but I was worried to be too childish and not in my "zip code" or turn into an awful movie like last year's putrid The Emoji Movie. However, despite all of the formulaic crass humor that crosses into territory of childish behavior, I had a fun time with this movie because of its charm and non-formulaic approach to its resolution.

Peter Rabbit (voiced by James Corden) is a mischievous rabbit out of a family of rambunctious sorts that steals vegetables out of Mr. McGregor's (Sam Neill) garden. Along with Peter, his cousin, Benjamin Bunny (voiced by Colin Moody) and his triple sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail (voiced by Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki and Daisy Ridley respectively), they invade his yard but Bea (Rose Byrne), his neighbor, who is an animal love and painter, witnesses him handling them violently and she takes them in, feeding them water with blackberries.

After an unfortunate tragedy, McGregor's great-nephew, Thomas (Domnhall Gleeson) learns that he gets his house, not knowing he had a great-uncle. Because he was passed over a promotion at the toy store and causing a wreck leading to his employment termination, he plans to refurbish the house and sell it and put it on the market to build his own toy store. He gets to the house and sees the mess that Peter and the other rabbits have caused. Peter and Thomas go to war over the property as the latter and Bea spend time with each other.


Yes, the movie is silly, a bit ridiculous and a bit predictable with its humor, however, it does not quite have a predictable conclusion so it was a bit fresh. It does approach the cheeky humor with a balance of sweetness and absurdity, however, the movie verges on the point of being too meta for my taste at some points. Still, I did not care as much because I honestly laughed. In spite of an unpredictable conclusion, the humor does fade away and becomes silent in the laugh department but it does not take away the experience of a fun movie.

There is not much to say about it because it is not deep at the core with its characters. The movie treats itself like an animal or British version of Home Alone with a bit of meta humor that is not on the level of that 1990 movie because the main character, Peter, is more of a unlikable jerk than a likable rabbit, whereas, Kevin McCallister is a likable jerk with more emotion than that rabbit. I was impressed with the CGI of the rabbits, some of the gags and some humor in its dialogue that reached more in the positive territory than in the negative. So, will I see it again? Not anytime soon. But, even though it is not Paddington or Paddington 2, the movie was entertaining enough to not cause misery in your system.

***


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