Movie Review: Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit, 2/9/18, 1Hr 33min, PG

The tale of Peter Rabbit as written by Beatrix Potter is well known and has become a classic.  So it is not without merit that a film would be based on it.  Although this film is not that actual story.  The characters and themes of the book are in this film, but the story itself is much more modern.

Peter Rabbit (James Corden) is fighting with old man McGregor (Sam Neil) until the old man dies.  Peter thinks the animals now own the garden and the house until McGregors Grand Nephew Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson) shows up so he can sell the house.  That’s when the fireworks begin, sometimes literally.

The filmmakers may have taken liberties to make their own story with these characters, but at least they made it a good story.  The live action and animation did look good together on the screen and the story was enjoyable for adults and kids. 

The PG rating of this film comes from the violence that is sometimes played for comic effect.  Such as people being shocked by electricity and flying many feet in the air.  Other times the character are just physically fighting with each other.  Plus the attempts to capture the animals in the garden use traps and explosives and can be little intense.  Thematic elements in the film include death and family.  Plus, the script includes a few lines of crude humor.

While I expected this film to be boring I actually found it interesting and a little entertaining.  I am giving Peter Rabbit a B grade.