Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway review

PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY: 

A CUTE, FURRY, AND PERFECTLY SERVICEABLE FOLLOW-UP THAT PARENTS CAN WATCH WITH THEIR KIDS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

That mischievous rabbit is back for seconds in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

 

            The lovable and troublemaking rabbit from Beatrix Potter’s books returns to the big screen in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, the long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit. I still remember when the first movie was coming out and actually cringing at how awful the trailers made it look, keep in mind this was shortly after Sony released the unanimously despised, The Emoji Movie so I initially had zero faith in this film. 

            However, I came out of the first film thinking it was a decent children’s movie with lots of cute little bunnies running around and some genuinely funny moments, specifically those involving Domhnall Gleeson (Ex-Machina, Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Revenant). It wasn’t anything great, but it was much better than I expected, and it wasn’t the disservice to Beatrix Potter’s work that I originally thought it would be. 

            Now, we have this sequel originally intended to be released in 2020 but was postponed due to COVID and while I thought the first film was a relatively pleasant surprise, I was not eager to watch a sequel to it. Then again, Sony’s own, The Angry Birds Movie 2 completely surpassed my expectations and ended up being a very funny and clever follow-up to a mostly subpar animated film, so I was willing to give Peter’s second outing a try and…it’s not half bad. 

            I’d say I like it about the same as the first movie where it’s an enjoyably silly and cute kids’ movie with some really funny and even clever moments tucked inside. It isn’t perfect but it feels like there’s a little more substance and funnier jokes, this time around compared to the first film. 

            The film follows Bea (Rose Byrne-Bridesmaids, Neighbors 1 and 2, Instant Family) and her neighbor and Peter’s former nemesis, Thomas McGregor (Gleeson) getting married and Bea becoming a successful children’s book author writing about the rabbits that inhabit their garden, most notably Peter Rabbit (voiced by James Corden-The Late Late Show with James Corden, Into the Woods, Smallfoot). However, when the books depict Peter as naughty and after a misunderstanding with Thomas, Peter runs away from Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits thinking that they’ll be better off without him. 

            On his journey, he befriends an old rabbit and friend of Peter’s deceased father named Barnabas (voiced by Lennie James-Les Miserables (1998), Snatch, Blade Runner 2049) who takes him in and introduces him to his crew, a mouse named Samuel Whiskers (voiced by Rupert Degas-Reunion, Shoot the Messenger, Red Dwarf), sibling alley cats, Tom Kitten (voiced by Damon Herriman-Mindhunter, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mortal Kombat (2021)) and Mittens (voiced by Hayley Atwell-Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cinderella (2015), Blinded by the Light) as they all plan to pull off the ultimate fruit and vegetable heist, steal from the Farmer’s Market all the while Peter learns his true place and the importance of family. 

            The film also stars David Oyelowo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Selma, Nightingale) as publisher, Nigel Basil-Jones and features the voices of Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, DC Extended Universe, I, Tonya) as Flopsy, Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby (2013), Widows, Tenet) as Mopsy, Aimee Horne (East West 101, Double Take) replacing Daisy Ridley as Cottontail, Sia as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Byrne as Jemima Puddle-Duck, Gleeson as Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Sam Neill (Jurassic Park 1 and 3, Event Horizon, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who previously portrayed Mr. McGregor in the first film as Tommy Brock, Ewen Leslie (The Daughter, Sweet Country, The Nightingale) as Pigling Bland, and Tim Minchin (Two Fists, One Heart, Robin Hood (2018), Upright) as Busker K. Bushy, Esq. 

            Overall, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a perfectly serviceable sequel with plenty of cute little animals, some goofy shenanigans, and frequent bursts of intelligence inside. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Peter Rabbit 2’s plot is actually quite clever, and it sort of mocks a lot of sequel clichés much like 22 Jump Street or Muppets Most Wanted. 

            One of the plot points is Bea meeting with her publisher about marketing her books and the publisher is going on about toy deals, movie rights, a story where Peter and his rabbit family go into space, and another where the rabbits are kidnapped and they have a car chase, boat chase, and jump out of a plane…can you guess what happens during the climax? It’s a very funny and smart commentary on selling out and the film has a lot of fun with this idea. 

            I think a good half of the jokes work in this movie and are extremely funny, clever, and even imaginative while the other half are the dumb, low brow humor to make the little kids giggle, but if enough jokes not only get me to laugh but laugh hard then I don’t care if they need to balance them out with a butt or toilet joke for the kids. 

            The voice acting is well done, James Corden is still pretty much playing himself but in rabbit form and he gets a few laughs, Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki are quite funny as Flopsy and Mopsy, and I was in disbelief that Daisy Ridley wasn’t returning to voice Cottontail because Aimee Horne sounds exactly like her to the point where I had to be reminded that Ridley isn’t voicing her this time. 

            Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is what it is, a cute and entertaining movie for parents to watch with their kids. It has plenty of cute bunnies and silly humor for the kids and some very smart and hilarious commentary on selling out and the clash between creator and businessmen, not a perfect movie and at times the tone can be all over the place but it’s a fine pick for a family movie night and the much better choice than Spirit Untamed.