Peter Rabbit movie: Review, Cast and Director

Film: Peter Rabbit

Cast: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Sam Neill (& voiced by Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie, Colin Moody, James Corden)

Directed by Will Gluck

Rating * * *

Beatrix Potter, creator of the titular creature must be turning in her grave. Actually, you don’t even have to be an author insisting creative fidelity to gripe about the manner in which the film-makers have reinvented the character of Potter’s anthropomorphic animals which she drew herself. Unless they thought they would enhance; make that subvert the rabbit’s natural tendency to mate all the time.

The unhappy result of this decision is the crudity we encounter in this otherwise entertaining and visually enchanting live-action animated film. Not just crude, Peter Rabbit is sexually aware in an abhorrent way and I don’t know how the parents who accompany their children to the movies will explain this.

I also hope child viewers will NOT imitate a grownup who wants to demonstrate the water in the toilet bowl is clean enough to drink. That person (played by Domnhall Gleeson, manic) happens to be Thomas, great-nephew and heir of Mr McGregor (Sam Neill) who passes away in the middle of a rabbit raid of his vegetable garden. But the unholy glee felt by Peter Rabbit (voiced by James Corden and his sisters – Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail) is cut short when their artist- protector Bea (Rose Bryne, sweet) falls for Thomas who wants to sell the farmhouse.

Thomas of course doesn’t share Bea’s views that the animals have first rights to the land. Director Gluck and co-writer Ron Lieber, do bring in values of forgiveness, honesty and family. But alas, Viewers will have to endure bad behaviour before the very welcome and happy ending.