Peter Rabbit 2
It’s been easy to dismiss these live action/CGI reimaginings of the classic Beatrix Potter characters, but they’re actually genuinely funny, surprisingly self-aware, and reassuringly heart-warming films that adults can certainly enjoy alongside younger family members.
Premise: With Bea (Rose Byrne) and Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) now happily married, life seems good for Peter Rabbit (voiced by James Corden) and his friends. But a chance meeting with Barnabas (voiced by Lennie James), a friend of Peter’s father, and the arrival of Nigel Basil-Jones (David Oyelowo), who wants to publish Bea’s storybooks, threatens to drive a wedge between Peter and his family.
Review:
I was very late in seeing the first Peter Rabbit film from 2018 (and in fact, I only saw it a few months ago). Like many people, I dismissed it unseen as a kids’ film that was unlikely to offer anything much for adult viewers. However, I’m happy to admit that I was wrong about the first Peter Rabbit film, and if anything this sequel (which is, I think rather misleadingly, subtitled “The Runaway” in the US, but is just “Peter Rabbit 2” everywhere else) is an even more enjoyable film.
The film strikes a perfect balance between child-friendly humour that even the youngest of viewers will enjoy (this film has a “U” rating), and adult-based meta-humour that the parents can enjoy but which will completely go over the children’s heads. There are, for example, little one-line jokes about the tragedy of saving a bottle of champagne for a special occasion that never happens, or how annoying James Cordon is generally considered, that mean nothing to the children but which will elicit a knowing smile from the adults.
“…adults may be cynical about James Cordon, but to kids, he simply is Peter Rabbit…”
It’s very easy to see why this film has attracted such as impressive cast – both in terms of the live action characters, and the voice cast. Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson continue to display their great comic talents as the primary live action characters, and they combine the humour with a genuine warm-heartedness that makes them the ideal surrogate parents for a story like this. This time, they’re also joined by the always excellent David Oyelowo – who not only is very funny himself, but who also is the subject of amusing observations about how people can lose themselves in his eyes.
In terms of the voice cast, it’s hard to fault James Cordon’s performance, which walks the fine line between “mischief maker” and an emotionally vulnerable child. His performance never becomes annoying (except when that’s the intentional point), and there’s a sincerity to his performance that shines through. Adults may be cynical about him (it’s become very fashionable to bash James Cordon), but to kids, he simply is Peter Rabbit.
“the film is packed full of so many gags…”
The rest of the voice cast is also great – Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki and Aimee Horne (seamlessly replacing Daisy Ridley) get a bit more to do as Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, while Lennie James is the big new addition, playing Barnabas, an old friend of Peter’s deceased dad. Lennie James is great in everything he does, and playing a cockney rabbit is no exception.
The film is packed full of so many gags, that even if one or two don’t hit their target, it’s only a few more seconds before the next one arrives – with much of it being self-aware meta-humour poking fun at reactions to the first film. I genuinely had a smile on my face constantly from the beginning of the film until the post-credit scene. The plot itself also effortlessly combines adventures that still feel in keeping with the spirit of the original stories, as well as non-preachy life lessons about expectations and deciding what kind of person you want to be, alongside some genuinely surreal comedy moments – often involving some of the animal characters returning from the first film.
All in all, there really is so much to enjoy in this film, whatever your age, that you’d have to try quite hard not to enjoy yourself when watching it.
