The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town

Voices of Fred Astaire, Skip Hinnant, Bob McFadden. The venerable Fred Astaire narrates this fully remastered animated tale of a clever young bunny from Kidville who delivers gifts to his friends at Easter, and in so doing creates new traditions for all to enjoy. Somewhat of a sequel" to the Rankin-Bass production Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970). 1977/color/60 min/NR.

Brought to you by the same crew that wrote and directed the classic Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, this Easter staple will look and feel familiar to any eyes that watched the 1970s around holiday time. Writer Romeo Muller's done a wonderful job capturing simple lo-fi dialogue and action around the lovable early-spring bunny, weaving enough drama into the script to make the show comprehensible for kids and enjoyable for (most) adults. The production team makes their animation-verité visuals jerky enough that it feels still like their Santa juggernaut (created seven years earlier than this 1977 production). And narrator Fred Astaire returns to give the shell of the story its pleasant feel, not at all too threatening but neither too mushy or idiotic. Of course the production dynamics and sound are subpar in comparison with current techniques, but this isn't a film to watch with an eye for how with-the-times it could or should be. --Andrew Bartlett