With his distinct, unmistakable English accent and his new found ability to be cast in anything, the rise and rise of British funnyman Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek) has forced even the most cynical film fans to take notice. As the voice of Hop’s protagonist, E.B, Brand combines his high-pitched Briticisms with kid-friendly gags, bringing life to a character that embodies some of the world’s finest animation blended seamlessly into a backdrop of middling live-action film.

Initially, the novelty of such effects catches audiences off guard with their unnerving excellence; it’s impressive to see how far the technology has come since its beginnings with Who Killed Roger Rabbit? and Space Jam. But while the effects are first class, the story is rote. Weirdly, the ending is also given away within the first few minutes, leaving the remaining 90-odd little choice but to underwhelm.

The sugar-coated smorgasbord presented by screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (Despicable Me), serves a menu of bad plaid shirts, cheap rebellion and mutual daddy issues, shared between the equally obnoxious and hopeless Easter-Bunny-in-Waiting, E.B and his eventual human collaborator Fred O’Hare (James Marsden; Cats & Dogs 2). When jobless loser Fred hits a runaway E.B with his car, the furry critter tricks the just as unshaven human into catering to his every whim, specifically by ferrying him to and from auditions for a David Hasselhoff American Idol inspired talent show. Unfortunately, both of these characters remain largely detestable for most of the film, even when they come together to save the day.

The film’s finest contribution comes from the voice work of Hank Azaria (Year One) as Carlos, a fluffy yellow Easter chicken who psychotically dreams of delivering the eggs on Easter morning himself. When this fluffy (Cuban?) Signor is repeatedly belittled back into place by Bunny Senior, Carlos begins a Chè Guevara inspired revolution, leading the factory chicks to riot against their oppressive bunnies. He’s a great example of racial stereotyping and Hollywood’s penchant for tokenism, too.

Like the ghosts of Christmas movies past, Hop commercialises Easter in the extreme way that is usually reserved for Xmas or Halloween. Director Tim Hill (Garfield 2, Alvin and the Chipmunks) overemphasises all the things that kids love about this time of year: lollies, chocolate and the Easter Bunny myth. (Of course, there’s no inclination that a chap named Jesus has anything to do with the holiday). Whilst Hop has the cheekiness to entertain the kids, parents will have to learn the hard way the reason why a bunny who poops jellybeans and leaves a trail around the house isn’t the best role model for their youngsters.

Verdict: After the abomination that was Alvin and the Chipmunks, this could be Tim Hill’s kid-friendly resurrection. I just wish he had read the script before the numbers on the paycheck.