Here Comes Peter Cottontail

I grew up watching this with my mom and I love it to this day. I find myself singing songs from the movie year round. The stop motion is excellent and Vincent price is great as iron tail. This is a great Easter film to watch with the family and if you're like me you'll watch this year round

First-rate Rankin-Bass production that ranks at the top in terms of Easter/Easter Bunny holiday fare. I grew up with this one and loved it then and love it as much if not more now. It has a nice story with some wonderful lessons laced within, great stop-motion animation the way only Rankin and Bass can do it, the vocal talents of Danny Kaye and Vincent Price, and the beautiful, catchy music of Maury Laws. Peter Cottontail oversleeps from staying out late partying when he is supposed to compete the next morning against the wicked Irontail only to lose the challenge and see Irontail take over April Valley. There Irontail, with magnificent vocal gusto from Mr. Price, makes numerous changes from changing Easter bonnets to Easter galoshes and egg colors only to new concrete and black. Peter, now social pariah, makes his way out of April Valley to find Mr. Sassafras who hooks him up with a machine that can go back in time with French-speaking caterpillar Antoine as his pilot. Peter and Antoine then make their way through all of the holidays of the calendar as Peter learns true lessons about life. The message in this one is universal and fun at the same time. Maury Laws songs are just wonderful from "The Puzzle of Life," "In Spring the Easter Bunny Never Sleeps," "Be Mine Today," and my personal favourite "If You Can't Get It Altogether Improvise." Danny Kaye resoundingly does the voices of three key characters, and it is clear he and Vincent Price are having a lot of fun. The figures are lovely and I always had a soft spot for January "Boom-Boom" Irontail and his cry "Come Montressor! Away!". I wish they could still make them like this today. I wonder - and doubt - if much of the animated junk they churn out will last and have the same impact on it viewers that this still holds on its over 35 years ago. Well, I'm feeling old - if I could only go back to yesterday and get a second chance.

I must have been six when I saw "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". Now that I know who did some of the voices, that only makes the movie cooler. The plot of course has good rabbit Peter Cottontail (Casey Kasem, aka Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo") trying to become the Easter Bunny after lascivious rabbit Irontail (Vincent Price) wins the contest. Through some mishap, Peter accidentally travels through the whole year, selling eggs for every holiday.

Maybe this does mostly serve as a kids' movie, but it's pretty neat. With Shaggy as the good guy, Dr. Phibes as the bad guy, and Danny Kaye as the narrator, how can you go wrong?

Unlike Christmas, Easter doesn't really get that many TV specials made in its honor. It really is a shame, since Here Comes Peter Cottontail is every bit as worthy of TV airtime as the beloved Christmas Rankin-Bass specials.

The music is all memorable, my personal favorites being "Be Mine Today," "Hope is There," and most of all, the wistful "If I Could Only Get Back to Yesterday" sung by the multi-talented Danny Kaye, who narrates the story. The characters are fun, save for Bonnie the Bonnet, whose voice is a bit grating. Vincent Price steals the show as the malicious Irontail, out to revenge his maimed tail by ruining Easter for the kids. Casey Kasem is appealing and tons of fun as Peter.

The special is great for kids, but its charm and messages about responsibility and hope will appeal to older folks as well. It's good viewing, whether it's Easter or not!

I love animation from Rankin/Bass, along with Walt Disney Studios, Hanna-Barbera, and Max Fleischer Studios. This is also one of my favourites out of the three Easter specials, along with "The First Easter Rabbit" from 1976. You know, I was very lucky to buy it on DVD, because they don't show it on TV anymore. Dammit!

I love it whenever Peter lies and his left ear droops. Of course, I am left-handed, so it would be the right ear. I also love the Valentine's Day skating party scene, where he meets Donna, a cute little bunny. The casting for Peter Cottontail is, in my opinion, top-notch, with Danny Kaye as Seymour S. Sassafras, Antoine, and Col. Wellington B. Bunny and Vincent Prince as January Q. Irontail. I love the talents of Vincent Price. And Scooby Doo's Casey Kasem as Peter Cottontail himself.