The blend of animation and live-action in this adaptation of the classic tale is charming, but mostly only when it is mimicking stop-motion animation. Expanding the storybook into a 45-minute short film expands on exactly what kind of play the boy was having with the velveteen rabbit, but not enough exploration into the core themes of the book it is based on until the final few moments. The book is basically baby’s first existentialism and I don’t feel we’re getting enough of that here. The film is still beautiful, though, and would have made for a lovely yearly Christmas watch.
The blend of animation and live-action in this adaptation of the classic tale is charming, but mostly only when it is mimicking stop-motion animation. Expanding the storybook into a 45-minute short film expands on exactly what kind of play the boy was having with the velveteen rabbit, but not enough exploration into the core themes of the book it is based on until the final few moments. The book is basically baby’s first existentialism and I don’t feel we’re getting enough of that here. The film is still beautiful, though, and would have made for a lovely yearly Christmas watch.
