If Paddington and its sequel are how-tos on updating classic characters for modern audiences, Peter Rabbit is a prime example of how it is going to typically be done. Where Paddington is British through and through, Peter Rabbit comes with a decidedly more Hollywood vibe, courtesy of writer-director Will Gluck (Annie) and his co-writer Rob Lieber.
James Corden exuberantly voices Peter as a rascally scamp, who must care for himself, his three sisters—Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail (v. Margot Robbie, who also narrates, Elizabeth Debicki and Daisy Ridley)—and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny (v. Colin Moody), by stealing from the garden of Mr. McGregor (Sam Neill). After an untimely demise, the McGregor farm is inherited by his great-nephew, Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson), a fussbudget who may not be that bad after all. Too bad the feud between Thomas and Peter goes nuclear, thanks to a sweet, animal-loving painter named Bea (Rose Byrne).
With its eclectic soundtrack of modern tunes and slapstick violence reminiscent of Home Alone, Peter Rabbit is unlikely to age gracefully, but its middle and final acts are not lacking in modern family-film charm.
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