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E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) goes looking for a job with his human buddy (James Marsden) in the live-action/animated comedy “Hop.” |
Kids will love “Hop.”
It’s cute.
It’s funny.
It’s clever. In fits and starts.
But I’m guessing the creators of “Hop” are completely oblivious to the stereotyping of their characters, the blatant anti-union message of their story, and the superficial, unearned emotions of its fast and forced finale.
Still, none of that should take away the credit due James Marsden. He really shows his acting chops in “Hop,” a live-action/animation comedy about two characters with arrested adolescence on a quest to find their places in the world.
In every one of his scenes, Marsden gives 150 percent. His tirelessly over-the-top performance carries this film through some pretty shaky moments.
He creates a cartoon character of his own in Fred O’Hare (foreshadowing alert!) a twentysomething man still living with his family members desperate to push him out of the nest.
Dad and Mom (Rolling Meadows High School alum Gary Cole and Elizabeth Perkins) want him to get a job, but Fred just can’t commit to maturity. (Read more…)