I'm a proud Canadian... I really am. As such, I have a hard time watching poorly made Canadian films (You must also understand that this is nearly all Canadian productions). They often seem to be made on a miniscule budget, yet somehow, when compared to American productions of a similar budget, they seem to be much more, well... shitty.

When I do manage to find a Canadian production that exceeds its expected limitations, it's a pleasant surprise. Hank and Mike surpasses every possible limitation, despite its incredibly low budget (The film looks to be shot on low quality film stock, which results in a heavily grainy picture). Also, while the budget is obviously quite small, the film is technically quite good. The camera is constantly moving, and allows for some unexpectedly professional angles. The music lends itself well to the events occurring onscreen, reaching its pinnacle with Chris Klein singing “It Happens in Florida”, while our protagonists stumble around threatening their own deaths with their alcohol and drug abuse.

To enlighten you on the subject matter of Hank and Mike - Hank and Mike are Easter Bunnies, and while it appears that they are simply men dressed up in Easter Bunny costumes, they are in fact, the real deal. Easter is proving to be a less than profitable holiday, and the executives in charge decide they may need to downsize. The first victims are of course Hank and Mike, who've been drawing some negative publicity since they missed a house on their route, leaving a little girl more than just a little upset after not receiving her Easter chocolate. From here on, we are witness to our pink heroes trying to get back on their feet, attempting to find another job... but really, being Easter Bunnies, they're kind of suited for only one particular job.

I could elaborate more on some of the events that transpire throughout the film, but I will leave that for the audience to discover. The majority of the film is distinctly adult-oriented humor. To put it in perspective as to what one can expect while watching Hank and Mike, the very first scene is a screen displaying scrambled pornography, as the camera pulls out between two big, pink rabbit ears. Hank sits on the sofa with his cigarette nearly falling out of his mouth, and then… he reaches for some tissue paper. Any movie that opens with the threat of a masturbating man-sized Easter Bunny must have more surprises ahead, right?

The film's humor aside, the script is actually pretty well developed, intertwining two separate stories which begin at the same place, and also end at the same place. The two stories being obviously Hank and Mike attempting to get back on their feet, as well as the executives in charge of the Easter holiday, attempting to make it more profitable through even more blatant consumerization. The stories are well thought out and mingle well together; the actors even acquit themselves quite well. There's even a pretty spectacular visual effect in the film's closing sequence (Spectacular in relation to films modest budget).

What surprised me the most however, is not that I laughed incredibly hard throughout the entire film. No, the film was so consistently funny, that by it's conclusion I wasn't surprised by either the quality of some of the laughs, nor their frequency. Looking back however, I was surprised to realize that my favourite scene was devoid of laughs. It's a sequence in which Mike and the woman he secretly loves, Lena , are simply walking down the sidewalk having an honest conversation. It's seems so natural, and the chemistry between the girl and the big pink bunny is undeniable. It's a nice, warm scene that reminds you that the movie has just a little more substance than you would expect. Of course that scene shortly works itself into a few of the best laughs in the film.

The humor is not for everyone, but if you like your humor a little more deranged, and grown-up, satirical, and often mean-spirited, Hank and Mike should appeal to you, and I'm comfortable in saying that it is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. The fact that it's Canadian just proves that any doubt that I had about Canadian productions is irrelevant. Canada is capable of producing quality films; it's just too bad that we don't see many that are of the quality of Hank and Mike.