Hop

All E.B. (Russell Brand) wants to do is to play drums in a band. His father, the Easter Bunny, (Hugh Laurie) wants him to inherit the family business. E.B. decides to run off to Hollywood to make his dreams come true. Thus begins Hop, a nice film just in time for Easter.

Meanwhile, Fred O’Hare (James Marsden), an unsuccessful job hunter, gets kicked out of the house by his satirically mean family. His more sympathetic sister (Kaley Cuoco) gets him a job house-sitting for her boss. Soon enough, Hare meets bunny.

Fred soon has to hide his new house guest to save face. E.B.’s also willing to hide to avoid his pop’s royal guard, the Pink Berets. Back home on Easter Island, an evil chick named Carlos (Hank Azaria) decides to take over the holiday by force. Only once our heroes embrace their responsibilities will they save the holiday in the end.

There's plenty of silliness going around in the sea of candy. A lot of it comes from the amusing interaction between man and rabbit. They're aided by fine visual effects work which perfectly realizes both the critters and the candy. A few good gags, including celebrity cameos by David Hasselhoff and Hugh Hefner, add some fun to the basket. Even the real Russell Brand appears on-screen with E.B. for film's best self-referential gag.

It's directed by Tim Hill, previously the helmer of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and thus experienced in this type of film. It's sweet like a lot of candy, but not overly-sweet so it hurts. Thus, Hop should provide the type of holiday fun that usually comes out seven months from now.