QR Film Reviews: Peter Rabbit

James Corden is a 'rabbit in a blue jacket and no pants' who doesn't know when to quit.

★★★½

After the controversy that arose last month around the insensitive allergies reference or ‘food-bullying’ as some parents would have it (click here to read about the allergies controversy), as well the general unscrupulous reputation of Mr. Corden, I was very sceptical about this movie. Would my fond childhood memories of the original series be forever marred by the spectre of James Corden and his insensitive and often downright silly demeanour?

But the allergies controversy certainly did not halt this film from being delivered exactly as intended. The allergy references remained firmly in place, with tongue in cheek nods to the protesting parents. In fact, the fourth wall was frequently under siege from Mr. Corden. Which led to some unfortunate slippage between the character of Peter Rabbit and his now pseudo-infamous voice actor. Overall, this did not drag the movie down. If anything, it elicited chortles from the adults in the audience, and tinted the whole film with a gentle self-mockery in which its existence as a fabrication was warmly acknowledged.

At any rate, the children of the audience, being perhaps less acquainted with Beatrix Potter’s motherly tone did not find the occasional break through of James Corden into the scene at all disruptive. Instead, they were largely distracted by the hijinks and slapstick humour that ran continuously (if sometimes repetitively) through the film and could be appreciated by all ages. Again, the repetition was borne with many a wink to the adults in the audience and was humorously pulled off.

Personally, I was hoping for some nostalgia - references to the original stories and a cute story about rabbits, which is what I got in a roundabout way. The original artwork is worked into the story beautifully and in such a way as to tug at the heart-strings without disrupting the warm and happy tone which gave me, a sceptical reviewer, warm happy feelings.

The comedic story-telling and dialogue makes references to all the big issues facing today’s youth – the corrupt job-market, the so-called obesity crisis and of course the environment. Making the content somewhat educational for the little ones, whilst taking a derisive tone which I as a jaded adult can fully relate to.

(Warning: some slight spoilers beyond this point)

(Do you want to read about specific points of the plot?)

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(Okay, spoilers ahead)

James Corden is a rabbit in a blue coat and no pants who does not know when to quit, he crosses the line a few too many times with near disastrous consequences. There is suspense, laughter and a good amount of socio-political criticism as Peter Rabbit battles with the evils of capitalism, the loss of his parents, and an Oedipus complex (exacerbated by the arrival of a rival for his mother-figure’s (Bea’s) affections) . Rose Byrne is a loveable artsy-type mother figure and protectress of the bunnies and their extended wildlife family who probably deserves better than a man who is willing to electrocute or blow-up animals to maintain a sense of order in his life.

On the other hand, this is also the story of a stressed-out retail worker who loses his job, retires to the country, only to find that the wildlife has trashed his inheritance, and begins to anthropomorphise said wildlife as his mental break down spirals out of control, leading to his taking drastic and nefarious measures. Domhnall Gleeson is brilliant in his rivalry with the lead Rabbit and his co-stars, although I did get the feeling we were supposed to sympathise with him perhaps more than we did; as though attempting a to brain a rabbit upon finding it in one’s garden is a natural reaction to have (it isn’t) in his situation. 

I enjoyed the escalating conflict between rabbit and man and the eventual redemption, though I couldn’t help but feel the redemption arc could have been broader and a little more detailed. How could Bea still love a man who jumped straight to buying explosives after his very first encounter with the rabbits in his garden? And his sudden affection for the rabbits at the very end of the film comes out of the blue, with a need to get back in Bea's good books being the only explanation. I would have liked to have seen him develop more of a relationship with the animals on his journey to redemption.  But since this was a children’s film perhaps my standards are a little too high.

As a long-time fan of Beatrix Potter (and not so much of James Corden) I can assure you that there is enough nostalgia and hijinks to make James Corden more than bearable as he voices your favourite childhood bunny. If you must take your kids to see a movie this Easter, this one has something for all the family. Or, if you’re a big kid yourself, you won’t be left feeling like you need a good excuse for having made this trip to the cinema.

By Amy Pointer