Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit books were quintessentially English children’s tales and they were given the Hollywood treatment back in 2018. Due to the pandemic, the sequel’s release was delayed for a year. Was it worth the wait?
Following the events of the first Peter Rabbit film, Thomas and Bea (Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne) have gotten married and Bea’s book has become a self-publishing success. Bea gets an offer from the owner of Harrods to publish a sequel and invites Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits to Gloucester for a meeting. In Gloucester Peter (James Corden) meets Barnabas (Lennie James), a rabbit who claims to have known Peter’s father.
2018’s Peter Rabbit received a mixed critical reaction. Some critics saw the first film as a harmless kid’s film and it did well at the box office. Other critics hated it. I also hated the first film because the title character was so vile that I wanted to see him turned into a rabbit pie. Peter Rabbit was a sociopath in that film.
The filmmakers seemed to have taken notice of these criticisms and attempted to address them. Peter was made to be a lot more likeable and well-meaning. Peter wasn’t trying to kill Thomas, nor did he browbeat Benjamin Bunny (Colin Moody) into assisting in the schemes. When Peter did get into trouble it was due to misunderstanding or being led astray. He learned lessons about trust, friendship, and family.
The other way Peter Rabbit 2’s filmmakers addressed the problems of the previous film was being self-aware. Peter Rabbit 2 opens with Thomas and Bea’s wedding turning into chaos due to Peter’s jealousy but it turns out to be a fantasy sequence. The storyline involving Bea’s publishing deal acted as a meta-commentary of the franchise. Bea states her vision for the series and feared it would be turned into a tacky American film. The publisher, Nigel Basil-Jones (David Oyelowo), believed Peter would have an annoying voice that echoes Mark Kermode’s criticisms of the first film. This storyline also included a dig at the franchise’s willingness to sell out for ridiculous stories, trying to be hip, and mass merchandising. It felt like something The Simpsons would have done.
The meta-humour also extends to some jokes that were a wink to parents. These included some jokes about the farmer’s market and one involving a busker coincidentally singing a song that reflected Peter’s mood. The rooster (Will Reichelt) suffering from an existential crisis did make me smile.
Whilst the meta-commentary was a nice nod for adults, the target audience was kids. Peter Rabbit 2 was one filled with slapstick humour and there were some random gags like a fox becoming a fitness fanatic. A kid-friendly joke I enjoyed was when Cottontail discovered sugar. It was down to Aimee Horne’s energetic voice performance. The kids in the audience I was with were enjoying it.
Peter Rabbit 2 was a huge improvement to the original film mainly due to the main character no longer having a mean streak. It makes for a more enjoyable film for the whole family.
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Summary
An improvement just by being tolerable.
