Review of Dot and the Bunny

Adorable and intrepid little redhead girl Dot bravely ventures into the Australian outback in search of a missing baby kangaroo. Assisting Dot on her perilous quest is a comically mischievous rabbit called "funny bunny," who constantly makes amusingly ill-advised and unsuccessful attempts at passing himself off as the missing kangaroo ("funny bunny" also supplies the lion's share of the engagingly quirky and deadpan humor). During her lengthy and eventful odyssey Dot encounters a colorful array of off-beat and interesting local wildlife which includes lazy koalas who only want to eat and sleep, a busy platypus who doesn't have any time to talk, a cranky possum who hates noise, slithery snakes, cunning and unctuously sinister crocodiles, a kindly flying fox, a chatty and gregarious crab, a helpful turtle, a weary wombat and speedy emus. This is a very sweet and good-natured cartoon kid's feature which blends animation with live action quite well; it's technically a bit rough and crude by today's more sophisticated standards, but the animation possesses a certain irresistible plain'n'pretty appeal all the same. Moreover, the film itself is refreshingly bereft of any cynicism or irony; it's got a purity and innocence to it that's genuinely endearing. There's a real warmth evident as well which makes this lovely little gem extremely touching (the plot revelation that "funny bunny" is only trying to find a surrogate mother to love and take care of him because both of his parents were killed by hunters is quite moving). The lively and catchy songs (my favorite is the hilarious "Termites" ditty), the beautiful nature photography, the gorgeous scenery and especially the overall pleasant and upbeat tone further add to the movie's considerable charm.