HOP: Blu-Ray/DVD with Digital Copy: Universal Pictures
Review by JAM
What happens when two wayward sons trying to find their own way through life cross paths during a minor traffic accident? Well, if one is a slacker trying to find his way with family intervention (James Marsden) and the other is the furry fellow known as E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) the son and heir of the Easter Bunny, HOP happens.
Trying to escape what he sees as a strict and undesired future within a dead end job as the Easter Bunny, E.B. dreams of the freedom of life on the run while marching to the beat of a different drummer, himself. At the same time, Fred O’Hare finds himself the focus of his family as their intervention leads him to yet another chance to change his life, yet in a way he never expected. Given the chance to housesit by his concerned sister Sam (Kaley Cuoco), Fred hits the fuzzy bunny, sending him flying, and leading him to find a rebellious rabbit ready to rock and take over his life.
Take a rascally rabbit and a silly slacker and you have actually have a fun comedy based on the importance of family and how hard it is sometimes to realize, the importance of believing in yourself, and true friendship being worth more than gold or all the candy in the world. Throw in comedy from David Hasselhoff and Tiffany Espensen as Alex O’Hare, a mini chickee coup lead by a crazy chick named Carlos, and a cornucopia of candy and you have a fun film perfectly timed to release for some Easter goodness.
JAMS Ink on HOP
This is truly a fun movie that actually blends CGI animation alongside live action fairly seamlessly. The interaction between the characters seems real rather than stiff and allow for sight jokes, silly gags, and one-liners that work whether on the panoramic Easter Island or the hills of Hollywood.
James Marsden does well alongside E.B. considering the green screen work that would have entailed. He seems to work effortlessly in this movie as his comedic moments often take center stage even alongside a comedic CGI construct. His efforts to train for his dream job (not spoiling it for you!) is fun to watch as his CGI friend pushes him to new heights, and comedic pratfalls.
Blu-Ray is the way to go for this film! Panoramic views of colorful candy waterfalls and assembly lines forces the need for Blu-Ray clarity and color definition. The clarity also assists in the differentiation of Carlos and his crew of peeping chicks as they work in the factory of crazy candy. The colors ebb and flow and give a beautiful picture of perfection throughout these parts as bunnies, chicks, and candy coexist on screen. Throw in the CGI interaction with real Hollywood and the Blu-Ray clarity allows for a seamless transition and interaction that seems realistic even within the melding of CGI and true life. So get the Blu-Ray, you’ll have a fun family frolic through the life of a modern day Easter Bunny
EXTRAS
From dancing chicks to an around the world tour of HOP to an all-access look into Cody Simpson’s day, the extras on this disc keep you hopping around wanting even more! Throw in some cute kids interacting with the notorious Russell Brand and some fun games to play and you have a fun extra peek at a fun kids’ movie
• HOP Mini-Movie – Phil’s Dance Party – Phil and Carlos, two of the funny chicks from the movie take us on a music filled journey fraught with the perils of too much candy in this little add on.
• The World of HOP – A cool look at the world of HOP in a making of type extra while touring Easter Island. Gorgeous looks at the animation.
• All Access with Cody Simpson – The musical superstar who contributed to HOP with his version of I Want Candy lets us in on the day of the premiere and shows us some behind the scenes time before and during the premiere including fan interaction and a GIANT candy filled table.
• Russell Brand – Being the Bunny – This is Russell Brand’s brain. This is Russell Brand’s brain as a bunny. Any questions?
• Russell Brand’s Kid Crack-Ups – Russell Brand interviews kids about various topics with humor and hiijinks interspersed, along with a surprise visit from Haley Cuoco.
• Carlos on Carlos – The Premiere According to Carlos – Get a guided tour of the premiere from the perspective of Carlos.
• Emotion in Motion –The Dance of Ken Daurio – One of the movie’s writers lets us in on just how hard it was to teach a chick to dance.
• Post Coup Commentary – Do you wonder what would have happened if the chick’s plans had come to fruition and there was no more Easter Bunny? Hank Azaria shares exactly what Carlos and Phil were thinking and what their plans would have meant if the coup had succeeded.
• 3 Mini-Games – E.B.’s Candy Challenge, Drum Along E.B., and the Pink Beret Skill Tester allow you to play a little at being the bunny and having a fun time doing it. The Candy Challenge especially is a fun little board game addition to the disc.
Hop on over and grab your copy of Universal’s HOP on March 23, 2012. Grab a handful of hare-raising escapades on Blu-ray and join in on the adventure.
