Hop

Directed by Tim Hill, Hop follows the heir (Russell Brand’s E.B.) to the Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie’s Mr. Bunny) as he makes his way to Los Angeles and, eventually, befriends a slacker named Fred (James Marsden). Filmmaker Hill, armed with a script by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul, and Ken Daurio, delivers a fun, fast-paced comedy that benefits from its tongue-in-cheek sensibilities and assortment of agreeable performances, as, in terms of the latter, Marsden’s predictably charming efforts as the affable human lead are matched by scene-stealing periphery players like Kaley Cuoco, Gary Cole, and David Hasselhoff. (Brand’s over-the-top voice work is generally entertaining enough, although the actor’s lack of restraint is occasionally a little grating.) And while the whole thing never becomes as memorable or engrossing as Hill has surely intended, Hop does, for the most part, remain perfectly watchable for the duration of its brisk, appreciatively brief running time.

**1/2 out of ****