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An Easter Bunny Puppy

An Easter Bunny Puppy

1h 30m2013United States of America
Familial

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Detailed parental analysis

Russ, the Easter Dog is a light-hearted family comedy with uneven pacing and a deliberately naive atmosphere. The plot follows a puppy who becomes caught up in a theft involving a Fabergé egg, whilst a young girl and her family attempt to unravel the situation. The film targets young children, but its homespun production values and numerous filler scenes risk exhausting adults' patience well before that of the youngest viewers.

Language

The film contains a song sung by the dog that explicitly references defecation. The phrasing is deliberately comedic and calibrated to make children aged 5 to 7 laugh, but it may surprise parents who are not expecting it. The rest of the dialogue is otherwise unremarkable. It is a good starting point for discussing with a young child what is funny and what is crude, and why the two do not always overlap.

Underlying Values

The film builds its moral arc around truth and reparation: a character has lied or concealed something, and the narrative moves towards correcting this injustice, notably the release of a father wrongly imprisoned. The message is straightforward and legible for a young audience. However, the film does not seek to complicate this framework or explore the characters' motivations with subtlety: the moral is stated, not developed.

Parental and Family Portrayals

The paternal figure is absent for much of the film due to wrongful imprisonment, which forms the emotional driving force of the plot. The mother is present and caring. The family dynamic is broadly positive, oriented towards reunification and justice. For a child sensitive to parental absence, this narrative device warrants being anticipated.

Strengths

The film has no notable artistic or narrative qualities. The direction is homespun, the pacing is weighed down by lengthy scenes unrelated to the plot, and the writing remains functional at best. It may provide a moment of unpretentious entertainment for an undemanding child aged 5 or 6, particularly thanks to the presence of the dog and the scatological humour that lands at that age. It is not a film one watches again.

Age recommendation and discussion points

The film is accessible from age 5 onwards and contains no genuinely problematic content for young children. Adults watching it as a family will likely be bored. After viewing, two straightforward angles to explore with the child: why did the character lie in the first place, and what did that change for everyone around him?

Synopsis

A Mystery writer is not thrilled when she's assigned to write a children's book, "An Easter Bunny Puppy." Out of ideas, she asks her daughter for help. Meanwhile, her dog, RUSS, the narrator of the story, digs up a priceless Faberge egg buried in the woods and takes it home with him, unaware that he's trailing a thief who stole the egg.

About this title

Format
Feature film
Year
2013
Runtime
1h 30m
Countries
United States of America
Original language
EN
Directed by
David DeCoteau
Main cast
Alison Sieke, August Roads, Strider Ellis, Kristine DeBell, Chris Petrovski, Jason Faunt, Renton Pexa, Lisa London, Tess
Studios
Rapid Heart Pictures

Content barometer

  • Violence
    1/5
    Mild
  • Fear
    1/5
    Mild
  • Sexuality
    0/5
    None
  • Language
    1/5
    Mild
  • Narrative complexity
    1/5
    Accessible
  • Adult themes
    0/5
    None

Values conveyed