The film begins with a group of rabbits at school witnessing the Golden Magical Egg selecting candidates for being a Master Bunny. The egg selects many students, including the strange inclusion of a city bunny named Max (Noah Levi), who is quite clumsily and accidental. Max receives a letter and invitation from the Rabbit Academy, but Max questions why the egg would choose him. After all, to become a Master Bunny, he would require a master skill! As he travels to the academy, we soon learn about villains who plan on ruining Easter, including a group of foxes. The foxes are well known for trying to capture rabbits and have always been determined to steal their eggs. Capturing a rabbit’s eggs would make them “Easter Foxes”.
Now the clock is ticking, and Easter Sunday is fast approaching. The foxes gain new intel about a secret path that will lead them right into the school, allowing them to cause havoc. But before they even begin their mission, the rabbits find their beloved golden egg has suddenly turned black! According to ancient texts, this means Easter is now under attack! Naturally, the rabbit suspects the foxes have a new plan, unlike anything they’ve come up with before. But without the power of the egg, the bunnies also lose their magical powers. Now the bunnies must work as a team to do the ‘eggpossible’- save Easter.
Rabbit Academy: Mission Eggpossible (2022) is best described as an animation feature for a young audience. An adult audience may find this feature a little slow and painful to get through, but there are positive messages that both young and old will appreciate. These messages include the importance of teamwork, believing in yourself, and my personal favourite- embracing an enemy is the best way to gain a new friend, even if they are foxes.
The animation style is basic, and nothing here is generally overly bright or colourful like most animations in the present day. The biggest strength is the voice work, which is highly fitting, even when leads have what feels like a poor script. The sound effects are also fun and pleasing. Like the animation, the musical score is basic with no major standout pieces.
As for the plot, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a magical story here, and there’s plenty of creativity on show, including the look of the school, the animation style and the costume of each character. There are also side plots, such as Max and a Fox needing to fix the famous Egg Track. These side plots aren’t critical to the film’s plot but are more a device to set up gags and banter among characters and fill time. Again, a younger audience will love it, and all the easter one-liners like “I’m hopping mad now” will also return a chuckle or two.
Overall, as you might expect, this film is best enjoyed by younger audiences. While the animation and colour aren’t anything to brag about, there are creative moments such as the voice and character design and the fun costumes of the leading characters. While the plot is a mixed bag crammed with subplots to create gags and banter, the film does sneak in a few positive messages that sit strongly for a younger crowd, including the message of accepting others and the importance of working in a team. Some adults might go “hopping mad” watching this release, but little bunnies will adore the ‘egg-cellent’ magic on-screen.
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