The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town

This puppet animated Rankin/Bass production carries that duo's unmistakable stamp of quality while telling a reasonably engaging story of the origin of the Easter Bunny. Fred Astaire sings and narrates the tale of a young bunny in Kidville (a town run by children) who brings colored eggs (disguised to get by the big bear Gadzooks) to a nearby adult town, which is ruled by a puppet--in both senses of the word--king. King Bruce is seven years old and eats beans, and nothing but, thanks to the overpowering presence of his aunt, a dowager with a perennial frown. Over the course of a few years, the daring rabbit and his Kidville compatriots make annual Easter trips to the beleaguered town, trying various methods to win over the hearts and minds of the residents. Cleverly tied into the storyline is the "invention" of all the traditional accoutrements that accompany the Easter holiday: chocolate bunnies, jellybeans, the Easter lily, and, of course, the origin of the hiding of eggs. Not quite in the class of Rankin and Bass's best work, such as The Hobbit or Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this is still a good show, with a few excellent set pieces. Recommended. (Available from most distributors.)