Though not made by Rankin/Bass Productions, and animated using CGI animation instead of classic Animagic stop-motion animation, this 2005 animated sequel to the Easter television special Here Comes Peter Cottontail was clearly created with an appreciation and understanding of the classic original. Peter Cottontail: The Movie touches on and expands on some of the themes from the first special, while using state-of-the-art computer animation and a soundtrack of rock songs to capture the attention of modern kids, tweens, and even teens.
Peter Cottontail: The Movie – Plot
Peter Cottontail is now grown and has a son of his own, Junior. Junior is just as irresponsible as Peter once was, except where Peter was flaky and boastful, Junior is negligent because he is distracted by his many ideas for creative inventions. When Peter tries to trust Junior with some real responsibility by putting him in charge of the Clock of Spring, Junior unfortunately gets distracted once more and allows Irontail (the villain from Here Comes Peter Cottontail, now partnered with a new villain named Jackie Frost) to steal the spring that makes the clock go, thus trapping April Valley in the season of winter.
Junior makes friends with Flutter (a bird from Summer) and Munch (a mouse from Fall), and together the three young heroes retrieve the spring of Spring and the keys to the Clocks of Summer and Fall. Irontail's revenge and Jackie Frost's plan to trap the world in eternal winter (she is tired of seeing her beautiful ice creations melted by the sun) are foiled, and Junior and Peter Cottontail come to respect and understand each other better.
Peter Cottontail: The Movie – Soundtrack and Cast
The soundtrack songs are full of modern rock and pop influences and include a rocking, updated version of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." Many celebrities appear in the voice cast, such as Christopher Lloyd (Seymour S. Sassafras), Roger Moore (January Q. Irontail), Molly Shannon (Jackie Frost), Kenan Thompson (Flutter), Miranda Cosgrove from iCarly (Munch), and legendary voice actor Tom Kenny (perhaps best known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) voicing Peter Cottontail, Junior, and Antoine.
Peter Cottontail: The Movie – TV Easter Special Review for Parents
Unlike Here Comes Peter Cottontail, which is suitable for viewers of all ages, the sequel may not be appropriate for some younger viewers. Conservative families may find the character design of Jackie Frost inappropriate – she is modeled like a sexy doll, wears hot pants, and dances with some slightly suggestive winking and booty-moving.
Jackie Frost is also bullying and cruel to her penguin workers. Irontail, in turn, is scarier and more genuinely menacing in his new CGI animated form than he was in stop-motion.
That said, overall this is a worthwhile addition to the canon of animated Easter television specials. Tweens and teens especially will identify with the theme of a child wanting to prove him or herself to a parent and feeling like parents are outdated creatures who are too focused on the past and just do not understand the importance of change and the future. Seeing how Peter and Junior learn to appreciate and respect each other may give children ideas for how to strengthen their relationships with their own parents.
This computer animated Easter special also teaches children how nature is affected by the changing of the seasons and what would happen in nature if the seasons did not change correctly – for example, eggs would not hatch and animals would be unable to find enough food.
Peter Cottontail DVD Extras
The 2005 DVD of this computer animated holiday special offers bonus features both fun and educational, including:
- A Peter Cottontail Jukebox of four songs from the movie that can be played as part of a customized playlist or on random.
- A Storyboard Slideshow feature that explains how storyboards are used in movie-making and shows how the original storyboards compare to the finished computer animation in three scenes.
- A Character Rigging feature that explains the steps of computer animation, showing viewers character turnarounds (or 3D-character models) and rigging tests to help people understand the process of CGI animation better.
- A deleted scene and a slideshow of pictures.
The Peter Cottontail Collection (2006) bundles this movie with another disc containing the original TV classic.
Peter Cottontail Easter Activities for Kids
Parents can use this Easter television special as inspiration for some fun Easter activities for kids.
- Have children pretend they are inventors like Junior and have them design and build from craft materials an invention that will help with an Easter-related activity like egg-dyeing or candy-making.
- Ask kids to design and draw pictures of their own versions of the Clocks of the Seasons and the keys for each clock.
The lively music, energetic CGI animation, and exciting storyline make this Easter holiday special appealing to older viewers as well as younger ones. The smallest children may need to watch this with a parent, but in general this computer animated sequel will be appropriate and entertaining for all family members.
Peter Cottontail fans can also check out a review of the original Rankin/Bass Animagic special Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Fans of Rankin/Bass stop-motion animation may also enjoy a review of The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town.
Families may also like to read reviews of other animated Easter television specials for children.
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