Hop
Hop is a 2011 Universal live-action/CG film focusing on the exploits of E.B.(Russell Brand), a young rabbit who is next in line to become the world famous Easter Bunny of legend. His father can't wait to provide him with the title, but E.B. tends to sway more to the young, hip side of the Bunny family tree, and doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, instead wanting to make it big in the world of rock.
He leaves for Hollywood in order to realize his dream, and happens upon Fred (James Marsden), a kindred slacker who is house-sitting a mansion. After being nearly run over by Fred's car, he reluctantly takes in E.B., who wastes no time in causing him as much grief as possible. Soon however, Fred and E.B. learn that they have to contend with Carlos, one of the Easter Bunny chick assistants who decides that it's time for them to take over the holiday due to their doing all the work.
Tropes used in Hop include:
- Actor Allusion: When E.B. asks David Hasselhoff why he's not surprised by a talking rabbit, he replies with "My best friend is a talking car."
- Adam Westing: David Hasselhoff As Himself, the host and judge of talent contest "Hoff Knows Talent", which does sound slightly familiar and of course odd talking things are nothing new to him.
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: The Japanese version has a different theme song called "Hug Tomo" by Not Yet.
- Amazon Brigade: The Pink Berets, fluffy female rabbits who have a penchant for blowgun darts.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Adopted sister Alex.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: E. B. and Fred being crowned co-Easter Bunnies.
- The Cameo: Russell Brand, who voices EB, pops up as a production assistant on "Hoff Knows Talent", talking to the character he voices.
- The voice over the speaker at the Playboy Mansion? That's really Hugh Hefner.
- Chile: The Easter Bunny's headquarters are located on Easter Island for no particular reason other than both titles including the word 'Easter'. However, Carlos has a Spanish accent, which is the official language of the island.
- Cool Big Sis: Samantha, who is actually a cool younger sis but plays the role of an older sibling in trying to help Fred get his act together.
- Curb Stomp Battle: After Carlos goes One-Winged Angel, he easily wipes the floor with E.B.
- Dawson Casting: Marsden was 38 when the film was made, but is playing someone in his early 20s.
- Maybe; Fred's age is never stated (and to be fair, James Marsden does not look 38).
- Deadpan Snarker: Both Fred and E.B. at times, often to each other.
- Easter Bunny: However, the Easter Bunny's son doesn't want to inherit the title.
- Eenie Meenie Miny Moai: Because the rabbits are all from Easter Island we get so see some. They're apparently the secret entrances to the Easter Bunny's whole operation. Some even properly have the pukao.
- Everything's Better with Chickens: The chicks who run Easter's candy factory business. True, one's evil, but they're all so cute.
- Face Heel Turn: Carlos, the second-in-command chick to the Easter Bunny empire who wants to take the mantle for himself. Even though the Easter Bunny is a good guy, Carlos has been somewhat of a jerk for a while, which would make him a subversion of The Starscream as well.
- Faking the Dead: When the pink berets catch up to E.B., he dresses a frozen turkey in his shirt and throws it in a pot to fake his death, accidentally framing Fred for his murder in the process.
- Family Business: Easter is like this, currently under the ownership of E.B.'s soon-to-retire father.
- Follow in My Footsteps: E.B.'s father, owner of the title of Easter Bunny, wants his son to continue the legacy.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: E.B. and later the Pink Berets show up at the Playboy mansion, mistaking "playboy bunnies" for actual bunnies.
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EB: She single? |
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- Hand Wave: In one scene E.B. explains that he can talk because of a simple mixture of magic and cuteness.
- The Hoff's explanation for why he doesn't find a talking rabbit strange is that he was on a show with a talking car.
- Hidden Depths: Fred apparently speaks perfect Mandarin, enabling him and E.B. to finally penetrate the China market.
- The Klutz: The smallest member of the Pink Berets keeps slamming into things and tripping up during their action moves.
- Large and In Charge: Carlos who is the largest chick seen. He gets larger when he goes one winged angel.
- Meaningful Name: Fred O'Hare in a very subtle example.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The trailers for this movie made it look like an Alvin and The Chipmunks rip-off.
- The earliest trailer featured nothing more than the protagonist playing the drums, with absolutely no indication what the film was about.
- No Big Deal: A talking rabbit? Fred sure seems freaked out by it... but then it turns out he's the only one.
- Number Two: It's constantly brought up that Carlos is E.B.'s father's number two chick and he is not happy about it.
- One-Winged Angel: Carlos undergoes a transformation into a chick/bunny hybrid when the Egg of Destiny scepter bestows its powers upon him. Unfortunately it also increases his size and strength right before E.B. has to take him on.
- Playboy Bunny: Referenced. See Getting Crap Past the Radar above.
- Product Placement: Heavily advertised by Walmart. None in the actual film, though.
- Shout-Out: The film has a reference to Alvin and The Chipmunks' infamous "raisin" gag and turns it into something more palatable.
- The Slacker: James Marsden's character, Fred, at least according to synopsis.
- Solid Gold Poop: Not hugely valuable, but Easter Bunnies apparently poop jelly beans.
- Spiritual Successor: To Alvinandthe Chipmunks. It helps that they have the same director, Tim Hill.
- Talking Animal: What really?
- Tempting Fate: "How could this night get any worse? Oh I see, car accident, thank you."
- The Stinger: A return visit to China.
- They Would Cut You Up: Fred thinks this will happen to E.B. if he's spotted talking in public. See No Big Deal above for what actually happens.
- Toilet Humor: You see the picture above (which may be changed soon) where E.B. is showing some jellybeans? He shat them out.
- Trailers Always Spoil: Trailers revealed everything from the assistant's Face Heel Turn to the One-Winged Angel incident.
- Training from Hell: What E.B. puts Fred through to see if he is capable of being the Easter Bunny, and the young bunny eventually realizes the human has some talent for it.
- Training Montage: See above
- Unexplained Accent: E.B. and his father have (different) British accents, and the villain is Spanish. It's made fairly clear that they all live on the island full time.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: NOBODY besides Fred finds an anthropomorphic talking rabbit strange, and the movie makes sure to lampshade the Hell out of it.
- The Voiceless: The Pink Berets never talk.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We don't see the Pink Berets again after Carlos chocolate-coats them. It's easy enough to assume they were freed afterward, but it's never seen.