Hop (2011) - Wowing animation lifts shallow-sassy comedy

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Tons of candy, bright colors and cute animal characters here attempt to lure kids to demand tickets for Tim Hill's Hop

The Easter bunny's heir is not created for the job and instead of inheriting it he flees to Los Angeles, bringing his dreams of becoming a rock 'n roll drummer with him. Here he meets and teams up with a young (but not that young) human under-achiever. 

 

Hop is written by Brian Lynch (Puss in Boots (2011)), Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (Despicable Me 2 (2013), both) and directed by Tim Hill (Muppets from Space (1999)).

It is a really handsome and wow-filled animation that's upbeat and humorous all the way through. James Marsden (Westworld (2016-22)) seems a little old as the human slacker character, but he has the right energy, just as Gary Cole (Velma (2013, TV-series)) has as his father. Hank Azaria (The Wizard of Lies (2017, TV movie)) gives hilarious voice to a Mexican Easter chick villain (!). 

The precipice between kiddie-appropriate fun and grown-up elements, such as a Playboy bunny ranch and the inclusion of David Hasselhoff (Killing Hasselhoff (2017)) as himself, - is a little steep, and Hop doesn't completely succeed. But the pace is snappy, and Hop is pretty funny and handsome, a good bowl of wacky-forgettable entertainment with fairly broad appeal.

 

Related post:

 

Tim Hill: Muppets from Space (1999) - Under-appreciated Muppet funfest

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 63 mil. $

Box office: 184.3 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.92 times its cost)

[Hop premiered 27 March (Universal Studios, Hollywood) and runs 95 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 37.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another weekend at #1 and then another 2 in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 108 mil. $ (58.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 12.3 mil. $ (6.7 %) and the UK with 12.2 mil. $ (6.6 %). Hill returned with 3 video and TV credits prior to his theatrical return with The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). Marsden returned in Straw Dogs (2011); Russell Brand (Trolls (2016)) in Arthur (2011). Hop is rotten at 24 % with a 4.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hop?

Minions (2015) - Innocuous fun for kids

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The endearing minions have gotten their own movie now, with Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin's Minions

After the runaway success of the good Despicable Me (2010) and the even better Despicable Me 2 (2013) about the life of super-villain Gru and his family, this spin-off prequel has been devised, about the origins of Gru's yellow minion helpers.

The minions have been around much longer than man, but have always have a hard time finding a master to serve. In 1968, they come to attend a 'Villain-Con' in Florida and discover the evil Scarlet Overkill, whom they begin to serve.

Sandra Bullock (Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men (2007-15)) are Mrs. and Mr. Overkill, two characters who are generally a lot less fun than the ones seen earlier, especially in Despicable Me 2. And none of the other voice actors stand out in any way, good or bad. The film is plenty loud though... (A warning to adults with burgeoning head-aches!)
Minions manages to produce other laughs from the minions' use and misuse of weapons and other props, the depiction of times, cultural icons and the satirizing of one nation in particular, (England.)

The details:

Still, Minions is a cup of thin soup, and it is obvious that the job of making an engaging story out of the small fellows, who all look nearly totally alike and speak gibberish, has been a nut that's been too hard to crack for screenwriter Brian Lynch (Hop (2011)). The film is a lot more childish than the Despicable Me movies, which are good entertainment for the whole family. Minions is mainly a kids movie.
The animation is fine, if nothing revolutionary, but the 3D is not really worth purchasing for this film, (unless your kids absolutely MUST have it.) There's something about the emotive faces and eyes of the minions that is extremely recognizable, sometimes in a childish way, and sometimes simply in a human way. This is probably what has made them the surprisingly pervasive mass-cultural success that they are, one of the top-selling, global merchandises of these years.
Minions is directed by Kyle Balda (The Lorax (2012)) and Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me 2), who also voices the minions. Unsurprisingly, a Despicable Me 3 (2017) is already announced. Whether there will also be a Minions 2 is too early to say yet.

Related review:

Despicable Me 2 (2013) - Fun craziness for everyone

Watch the trailer for the movie here

Cost: 74 mil. $
Box office: 141.7 mil. $ and counting 
= Too early to say
[But there's no doubt that Minions, which has garnered good reviews, will be a huge moneymaker, both theatrically and in terms of auxiliary products (games, clothes, toys, foods etc.), which may very well make more money than the actual film.]

What do you think of Minions?