Hop (2011)

DISCLAIMER:

Before I go any further, this review is Not to shamed Schaffrillas Production or anyone who hates the movie by any means.

Also I need to address about the cameo of Russell Brand (I'm being serrious), this review is not going to tolerate anything about him or his horrific actions in this review. I'm very sorry about the victims and sincerely hope Brand faces actual legal consequences.

So Hop.

This movie is pretty controversial by the Animation Community and I honestly never seen a more behemothly hated movie. In fact its hated from the start, including nowadays that is particuarly Schaffrillas Production who influnced that.

After watching it and getting into the news. I didn't hated it. In fact there are worse Illumination movies out there then this and I understand why people don't like, but its labelled the worst? I think not!

Now I'm not going to pretend its a masterpiece because I do have a few problems with the movie.

So without a further-a-do let's get into it:

The Animation and designs is Not Terrible:

First everyone says the ICG characters particuarly Ware Rabbit Carlos looks uncanny and unfitting. Admittedly, I don't think it aged too well but I think they did a great job, now putting my bias with 2D or Stop Motion aside you have to consider that pulling off a CGI model in a live-action sneario is not easy task. If not 3D animation in genenral.

I think the character designs are good, they have a good balance of cute cartoony and realisitic enough that they can co-exist with us in the real world. I also think animators and set designers done a great job and not once the movie put me off with the CGI. Even when Fred gets to the factory never puts me off despite its in a green screen.

I also think Easter Island looks great, its exactly what I would imagine it would look like. It's like a Willy Wonka's factory and a Christmas aspects but I think the world can stand both on their feet without feeling like a copy.

I love the world building around the factory the opening that the movie emphasis of how it works, how the sweets are made (I'm saying sweets for now on) is very creative. I like the idea that it takes place on Easter Island that the statues is are like the secret door and the hole leads to anyone in any country is neat. I said Christmas aspect because the Eb's dad use it as a sliegh and the chicks are like reindeers, that's neat.

Eb and Fred analysis: I find this so funny that James Marsden talks to two CGI characters, that being Sonic which I find this hilarious.

Anyways, I think what make these duo likeable is because they are thrown into a simliar situation but both are distinctive enough to make their own character without making them the same.

Starting with Eb (Easter Bunny) the opening introduce a younger Eb playing the bongos, right off the bat you can tell that Eb is passionate to drumming including his teen years. This is a great way to establish his character of being passionate, this also kicks off the conflicts and pays off at the end, its also reflect his passion and quick thinking skills. I also want to mention the drumming scenes, Illumination actually brings an actual drummer to mirror the moves for the animation for Eb. They didn't have to go and get a drummer as they could easliy just animated and called it a day. They cared but back to Eb.

People says Eb is unlikeable the part where he gets into Fred's mansion, manipulates Fred that he is a helpless bunny and trash the mansionbut you need to considered, that is the start of the movie and the characters at the start haven't over come their flaws yet. The characters should always be jugded at the end of the movie. Yeah he runs away to pretend he was cooked alive by Fred and leave him to go with David Hassolf, he just said he'll be alright but as he gets to the talent he realised that's the wrong move and go to Easter Island for the final climax.

Also you need to understand that Eb is on the run all the time, the point its his rational fear. Like when Fred tells him to get in the car but he leaves any because of the Pink Parades are after him or when Eb thought he was chased in the play but its just a bunch of kids wearing bunny costumes.

Eb's character arc is to learn about his responseabilities and to grow out of being an immature teenager, that's the point. Teenagers still do immature things.

For Fred, he is the secondary protagonist of the movie. As he was a kids, he's the only person to see the Mr Bunny. But after 20 years it's his dad tells him he should get a job and stop slacking over a job interviews. Fred going to he's siters boss's house (other then the Eb unintentional misinterpreted a playboy magazine is hilarious), Fred runs into Eb and they grown a bond friendship as the movie progresses.

What make them so fun to watch is their chemistry and when your writing a duo, it doesn't have to be too simliar but at least make a connection with their motivations and goals, take for Woody and Buzz from Toy Story for example (also check out both of my Toy Story 1 and 2 for a further analysis).

Woody being the leader and Buzz being the more adventerous one with both different personalities but they both have an excellent dynamic with each other due with their simliar goals of being played with. They didn't go well at first but they grown each other and ever since the second film, they always have a bond friendship and that's what makes a good duo. Luckily the movie passed this test by making the two characters slack off by their parents, then they go out and become more of themselves and finding their purpose is actually a good way to introduce them to the audience.

Carlos analysis: As the antagonist of the movie, he get sick and tired of being number 2 for Mr Bunny and secretly Planned to take over mr Bunny's role. I need to address the elephant in the room, his performance of his Hispanic accent that everyone criticize.

Now, now. I get that people are upset about that and its a really iffy choice for the film and I already said its not a masterpiece, like this line:

Eb:"All great artisits suffer before they become famous. That lady wrote Harry Potter in a ditch."

But on the flip side, the arguement doesn't makes sense either, I know I'm getting into hot water territory zone so I'm using my words carefully here. I was not put off by his voice and there isn't any offensive stereotyping towards Hispanic people in writing and they never made a joke about that. I think the team is trying to use a Hispanic voice to make him sound evil, its just that the filmmakers take wrong direction and its really not their or Hank Azaria's fault. They trying make him sound like a bad guy and he himself happeneds to have a Hispanic accent.

Anyways about his character, what make Carlos a good villain is because the way the movie setup, its setup that Mr Bunny has a high reguard and trust to Carlos; as Eb is now a teen, Carlos is still there showing that Mr Bunny and Carlos have a long friendship but it also starts that he tells off Eb to not to eat the Marshmallow and after they left he kicks it.

The movie says that Mr Bunny is contintuing the tradtion that only a bunny can holds the candle after any generations, but as he speaks to Eb he puts down on him because he plays the drumming and drumming don't go together with being the Easter Bunny. The movie treats the tradtion as a bad influnce.

Carlos knows the tradtion is annoying to him and you feel his anger of being push aside. The movie also cleaverly makes him a maniuplater by pretending that he cared for Eb after Eb runs away from Easter Island but he really dosen't care anf just wants to get rid of Eb.

Suggest that he'll be the Easter Bunny but Mr Bunny just laughs but Carlos pretended he is laughing with Mr Bunny at that scene. He used compassionate (a fake one) to get an adavntage and at the climax he successfully take over the job as the Pink Parades come back and thought Eb is dead. Another layer to his character is that he believes he is better then everyone and clearly despites everyone, including he's right hand man Phil. He constantly calls him an idiot and hits him all the time, like he didn't cared for him. You can really feel his lust for power when he raise his own chick army.

His motivations are clear to the audience to observe, get enough screen time and he is not drawn out too much or too little. This is what a good villain should do. He's fake persona is clear to the audience by not clear to the characters until the end in universe. I also want to mention Phil because when you really think about it, Carlos only gives Phil abuse but Phil still trust him for comedic purposes and making Carlos egotistical, sadistic and care less to anyone around him.

Now I discuss Carlos, about the training montage, many people including Schafrillas citicism that Carlos is just equally as deserving of the role and filler. No, every movie has some training montage to elevate the characters to do different tasks. The difference is that, Fred improves. As the training starts you expect he is poor at jumping and constantly falling over and doing crude art. But he better with his speed and agility much better on his art skills, this shows he did improve as the things he messed up, he improve his skills to to ultimately being the Easter Bunny at the end but constrast to Carlos.

Carlos do heavy weights, pulling a car and doing art with Phil to help. But here's the thing, he fails everything. He barel lift the weights, he trips over during the track, he thinks he is pulling the car but its just phil driving it (you can ee the headlights and Phil putting his leg on it) and he makes the egg painting all about himself (in a comedic way).

Carlos: "What do you think?"

Phil:"Uh..."

Carlos:" It's a little too... too hot for the kids, no?"

As for the climax, I do think making Carlos to deliver grasshoppers and worms to kids is off putting. He dosen't really have a problem with sweets so I do know why here. But anyways I do think Eb defeating Carlos not by stengh but by passion and Phil just dance to it as it was started that Phil loves dancing to music. Its such a great payoff and Mr Bunny finally realised how talented and letting go of the tradtion as he's parents tells him and give the role Fred, the first human bunny (not in a sense he is a furry) and finally got the dream job.

Final thoughts: So after the defence. Its a decent movie if not the better Illumination movie. It has problems that holds it back like I already mentioned that I've mix feelings about the climax and the iffy parts; its not Despicable Me 1 and 2 or Mario Movie level of good. But what its worth, I still enjoy the movie and its the most over-hated Ilumination movie.

So that's Everything I got to say!