An improvement in every aspect, Chickenhare 2 takes the DreamWorks approach to a sequel, expanding on the world and every character's backstory to get into what makes them tick, and make them question themselves.Chickenhare is met with a quest by a surprising ally, a long lost sister hailing from their homeland in order to save it. Their relationship is rich, with lots of twists and turns, as their disparate experiences as outsiders have given them different viewpoints on their otherness, and several reveals regarding the nature of the harechickens (I think this is the name of the species, to differentiate from the character) and their oppression provides a really intriguing and modern interpretation to a familiar tale. Meanwhile Meg is also faced with a phantom from the past, literal cat burglar Crolloq, a rival treasure hunter who was Meg's former partner, mentor, and ???. She and her two henchchameleons are very entertaining and make for lovely additions to the cast. And Abe is... also around, hanging out with a returning pigmy (I love those cubey lads, in a just world they'd be as ubiquitous as the Minions).It's a good adventure-treasure hunting romp, with fun characters (the cartographer whose real passion lies in tattoos), setpieces, and puzzles. But it does have more on its mind than just that, and so it eschews the formula a bunch, leading to some unexpected moments. It's a 90 minute movie that wasn't content to have a second act of nothing but faff. The script had a subtle sense of humor that was all the more effective as a result.I especially adored the plentiful flashbacks animated in gorgeous 2D animation. Worth the price of admission alone. If this is a direction the studio nWave wants to pursue, they'll have my attention.
