‘Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway’
The school holidays are fast approaching and it’s always a great time to venture out to the movies, and once again Beatrix Potter’s classic characters are ready to head to the big screen in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and this one promise’s to be a real adventure.
Bea (Rose Byrne), Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson), and the rabbits have created a makeshift family, but despite his best efforts, Peter (James Corden) can’t seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.
Director Will Gluck once again returns to direct the sequel to his hit family film, Peter Rabbit, and fans of Beatrix Potter’s classic characters will be in for a good dose of fun this time. While life is good for the rabbits and wedding bells are in the air for Bea and Thomas, a rising celebrity forces Peter to take a look at himself, and after falling in with a bad crowd this mischievous rabbit isn’t quite so mischievous and he’s got to find a path back to redemption. Gluck keeps the comedy coming with this one, and he dives into ideas of celebrity and reputation, along with exploring more of the dynamics of what makes Bea, Thomas, the rabbits and all of their friends such a big, at times dysfunctional, but always loving family.
Fans of Peter Rabbit will be excited to see the story and the world grow in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, as Peter and his family venture away from the country and into the big, bright city. And with this comes many new characters and plenty of temptations. We get to see classic characters made new again including Samuel Whiskers, Tom Kitten and Tommy Brock, while new characters including Lennie James’ Barnabas, a street-smart, fast-talking rabbit change things up with this narrative and younger fans will love the high-stakes action and hilarious comedy that these new characters bring to the story.
Once again James Corden has an absolute blast as our favourite mischievous rabbit Peter, and this time he’s got to come to terms with who he actually is and just whether he wants to be as mischievous as some people make him out to be. While Peter has always had a spot for finding himself in trouble, he’s not as bad as people make him out to be, but when he does something very bad, and his family gets in trouble for it, it’s up to him to save them and put things right. Corden gives Peter plenty of conflict to work through this time, and this makes for an interesting dynamic to his off-the-wall comedy and keeps the story and its lead character interesting.
As a family movie, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a great time for all involved and this comes down to Gluck’s ability to craft a film that both children and their parents will love. Gluck splits the comedy both ways, with humour that will appeal to kids, but also to their parents and he does something different with the story that most won’t expect and this makes the film that much more enjoyable. Gluck also gives the film a terrific self-referential, meta quality and this provides plenty of new laughs to the film’s narrative and characters. Add in the fun artistry of seeing Beatrix Potter’s classic creations brought to life as stunning 3D-rendered characters and you’ve got a film that makes for a great time at the movies for both children and adults alike.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a perfect time out at the movies for both children and adults, and this bold new take on Beatrix Potter’s classic characters is sure to have the audience smiling.
Image: Sony Pictures
