Rabbit (I) (2005) User Reviews

An Old Tale Told Anew

[ShortoftheWeek · 8/10 · 16 October 2007]

This strange short story tells an old tale in a new way. Two ambitious, young children chase down a rabbit and find a small idol hidden inside. This idol has the odd power of turning insects into jewels. Soon, the two kids hatch up a plan to make an operation of it—killing animals to attract flies that are then transformed into more jewels. Connections to our consumer culture can be readily drawn.

Animated from a set of 1950s stickers meant to teach kid's how to read, Rabbit reads like a children's book brought to life in 3D. In combination, the horrific storyline and the innocent imagery creates a sense of twisted unease that has no equal.

Run Wrake is a seasoned animator/illustrator with a bizarre taste in the grotesqueness of pop culture. His website is chock full of more film pieces and probably the best illustrated biography page I've seen.

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Original & Interesting Parable

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 18 September 2008]

Wow, what an original and interesting parable on greed. Even more interesting was the animation. This is the first time I've seen objects on the screen written out, identified, as it were, naming what it was even if obvious. It was different and the drawings of the kids and animals were almost like something you'd see in an educational book if you were in kindergarten or first grade.

Story-wise, two greedy and sadistic cruel-to-animals kids, a British boy and girl, slice open a rabbit and find a small golden "idol." The latter likes to eat but when he does, the food attracts flies or wasps. The little golden idol immediate transforms those annoying insects into jewels, features and ink. The kids are no dummies; they see this and go to work to produce more insect-attracting food. Things escalate beyond belief and......well, suffice to say justice is served, but in a grisly manner.

These animated shorts of late, especially those on these "Animation Show" collections of them on DVD, seem to all feature dark, dark humor. Some people see them as "sick," but I find, as in this effort, that the black humor works.

Written and directed by a man named Run Wrake. Now there's an odd name. The animated short was nominated for two BAFTA awards. This is the only "cartoon" Wrake has done, which is a pity because this was fascinating and shows great imagination.

classic timeless animation

[imdb-12957 · 10/10 · 11 March 2006]

Insane and highly imaginative remake of 1960's children's illustrations. This is a great example of the current standard in graphic animation where bold techniques translate into fantastic visual artworks.

Two children discover a godlike idol in a rabbit after slaughtering it for its fur. This opens a world carnage and computer game style obsession where the children's desire to control the golden idol takes them over.

Previous Run Wrake animations have been even more off the wall revealing the unusual talents of this madcap genius.

Rabbit is a far more rounded work where the narrative is almost too defined leaving the ending a bit too moralistic.

Horrific, but wow is the animation exciting and original

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 19 February 2008]

This is a short animated film with a horrible plot--one that is just too bizarre for words and confusing beyond belief!! Two children catch a rabbit and tear in in half--revealing a bizarre little god who, though powerful, has really stupid powers. It can turn bugs into jewels, so the kids begin killing animals with reckless abandon to attract more bugs in order to become wealthy. Disgusting, yes, but you have to admire the kids for their ingenuity and capitalistic zeal!

Now I am sure my description sounds sick beyond belief, but the animations make this film work and work well. Heck, the animations are the best reason to watch this thing--it sure ain't the "make your brain rot" story which is funny but too weird for words! The animations appear to be a children's basic primer from the 1940s or 50s come to life. They all look like moving examples of this art style AND every item in the scenes have the name of the object written next to them (so as to teach the little ones to read).

Considering how gross and inappropriate this all is, that makes for one sick and funny joke--though certainly NOT for every taste. I liked it and truly admired its animation and twisted and nonsensical storyline. I sure wish my reading books had been like this one when I was a kid--I sure would have loved reading even more than I do now!

PS--After reviewing this movie, I showed it to my family who sat in horror--at least until they got the joke and began to enjoy the film. As for me, I liked it even better the second time (and so I updated my initial score of 8 to 9).

ingenious and fascinating animation - tale ambiguous and sometimes confusing

[L. Lion · 9/10 · 15 January 2007]

One of the secrets of making a movie that will captivate audiences is showing them something in a way they have never seen it before. Run Wrake's Rabbit takes elementary school reader illustrations and animates them in a bizarre story of greed.

Although the main theme of Rabbit is somewhat ambiguous, and the story veers into the strange, the unusual and effective animation style, using illustrations from grammar school readers, is visionary. The fact that the Dick and Jane characters in the film were amoral and venal was a strong counterpoint to their innocent origins.

If the film has a weakness, it is that the ending is ambiguous. What lesson is the reader to draw from the ending? That the whims of the gods (here seen as the cackling golden idol) are not to be trifled with? That the riches the gods seem to bestow can easily be taken away? The last third of the picture, where Dick and Jane simply try to capitalize on their apparent windfall, is the weakest part of the narrative.

Nonetheless, this film has a look and feel like no other I have seen in a long time. Strongly recommended.

The message on greed is only OK due to the excesses but the animation and imagination behind it all is a delight

[bob the moo · 18 January 2006]

Based on a collection of dated educational stickers (pictures and words) that he found in a junk shop, director and writer Run Wrake fashions a morality tale that sees a rabbit becoming the object of desire for a young girl and a young boy who is keen to impress her. When they kill the rabbit they find it contains a small gold idol who turns irritating house flies into jewels. Eager to get as much as they can the pair try to use the idol for their own ends.

I am not old enough to remember the cards used as the visual basis for this film but I have seen them and I was totally captivated by the look of the film and by how cleverly the film used these images as an inspiration for the story but mainly for the animation. It looks great and it engaged me to the point where the wild sweep of the story wasn't a problem. It does work as a warning against greed but the excesses are a bit damaging to the message because it is more about the former than the latter. However it is still a good tale albeit it one that is more adult than the bright and educational animation would suggest.

Overall this is an OK short film in regards story but it is a supremely interesting one in terms of animation and imagination. Yet another good example of why you should make the animate! short films a regular viewing habit.

memories

[Kirpianuscus · 24 December 2018]

Embroidery of memories. About "50-"60 decades. About books for little children for learn a foreign language. About old fairy tales and parables with the greed as subject. About video games and classic animation and cruel moral lesson. All is seductive , from the story to the animation itself. And real simple at the first sigh. The vintage flavor, in fact, is the source of seduction for this real lovely and eccentric short film.