Joe McGregor (Sam Neill; Jurassic Park) lives a quiet life in the English countryside. A mean old man, McGregor likes the solitude and his garden. He hates the vermin that is Peter Rabbit (James Corden; Into the Woods), his sisters, his cousin and all their woodland friends. Peter is the bane of McGregor's existence constantly stealing food from his garden and always being saved by the sweet neighbor, Bea (Rose Byrne; Neighbors). When McGregor finally caught Peter in his garden one day, he is ready to make rabbit pie but dies of a heart attack instead. Suddenly, it seems Peter's luck has changed and he and his friends gorge themselves on vegetables from McGregor's garden.
Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson; Star Wars; The Last Jedi) is an anal retentive, Assistant Manager in the toy department at Harrod's. When he gets passed over for a promotion he loses his cool and finds himself fired. He then learns he is the heir to his late great uncle's estate - the same one that Peter and his friends have been enjoying. Thomas decides to fix up the house so he can sell it and make enough money to open his own toy store. Of course, he and Peter clash immediately but he pretends to like the wildlife to impress Bea. Everything falls apart when Bea learns Thomas tried to kill the rabbits and accidentally falls a tree on her house.
Corden is the perfect actor to voice Peter. With his humor and sarcasm, his inflection gives the cute rabbit a unique personality all his own. Domhnall does a great job as the uptight Londoner who needs a lifestyle adjustment and suddenly falls in love with Bea. Byrnes is the right choice to portray the animal-loving artist. The supporting cast including Margo Robbie (I, Tonya), Elizabeth Debicki (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars; The Last Jedi) and Colin Moody (Party Tricks) are terrific and add to the overall feel of the film.
The 4K Blu-ray is 2160p HDR10 video quality is fantastic. The detail on the wildlife's fur is excellent and the colors of the countryside, Bea's paintings, and the vegetable garden are all vibrant. The Dolby Atmos audio is clean and crisp and highlights the fun soundtrack. The Combo pack includes the 4K, the Blu-ray disc, and the Digital HD. The Blu-ray has 3 extras including a mini-movie, Shake Your Cotton-Tail Dance Along, and Mischief in the Making; the first being mildly entertaining and the latter two being just general fluff.
Peter Rabbit has some funny moments and will delight the younger audience it is intended for. As mentioned earlier it also has some great songs, which is why a sing-along extra is not unsurprising. A few of the jokes and gags fall flat and the movie wasn't without controversy when it was released in theaters, as some viewers found the handling of food allergies insensitive. However, overall it is a cute film that will delight kids and offer a few laughs to adults.
If you have a little one in your house, owning this movie is recommended.
Grade: C
