Hoppers has hopped its way into theaters, with Pixar giving us another animated wonder. Directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears) and written by Jesse Andrews (Luca), Hoppers centers around the animal-loving Mabel (Piper Curda), who transfers her mind into a robot beaver and rallies the animals at her favorite glade to protect it from being bulldozed and turned into a freeway.
While Pixar has struggled to succeed with non-sequel projects in recent years, the studio’s latest film demands to be seen. With its delightful characters, vibrant visuals, and clever writing, Hoppers delivers a fresh, funny, and thought-provoking feature for the whole family.
Its story is deep and timely
Hoppers deals heavily with environmentalism, as the conflict centers on Mabel trying to protect the glade from destruction by Jerry and his construction team. With its pro-nature message and body-swapping concept, Hoppers immediately draws comparisons to James Cameron’s Avatar, with Mabel referencing it during the film. But while Avatar presents its story as a traditional battle between heroes and villains, Hoppers presents both sides of its conflict with greater moral complexity, harkening to Studio Ghibli’s movies, specifically those directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Hoppers shows how humans and animals can hurt and care for others. Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm), for instance, can callously bulldoze the animals’ home while caring for his mother in his own home. Meanwhile, the animals can be just as cruel as the humans. They try to “squish” Jerry in the name of protecting their habitat, and they go way over the top with their efforts, with a flock of birds carrying a giant shark to devour him. By pointing out the failures and flawed morals of humans and animals, Hoppers presents its conflict with incredible nuance and realism, making it one of Pixar’s most mature stories.
Hoppers also says a lot about rage over the perceived wrongs in the world. These days, it feels like people can’t have political or social discussions about issues like the environment without arguing. There’s a whole montage of Mabel and Jerry just shouting at each other whenever they meet, making zero progress in finding common ground.
King George (Bobby Moynihan) and the animals in his pond are very different. They live by three pond rules: “Don’t be a stranger,” “When you gotta eat, eat,” and “We’re all in this together.” Though Mabel is shocked and outraged by how these animals let predators eat them and let humans build on their land, George and his peers simply accept it all as part of nature.
Overall, Hoppers sends a powerful message about compassion and understanding. Mabel’s grandmother (Karen Huie) teaches our protagonist to listen to nature and the beings inhabiting it. The movie also shows that it’s impossible for people to listen to each other when both sides are always trying to talk over the other.
Since humans and animals can’t understand each other’s language in this film, it’s even harder for them to see each other as equals. Hoppers conveys by giving the animals humanlike faces only when the human characters can understand them (i.e., when they’re inside a robot animal or when they have a translator in their ear).
In addition, Hoppers explores the struggles of growing up through Mabel, whose efforts to protect the glade interfere with her studies, from elementary school through college. Despite this, she refuses to break her promise to her late grandmother by protecting the glade where they shared such happy childhood memories. Many viewers have likely felt like Mabel at some point, too small and powerless to make a difference on their own, making her body-swapping journey very relatable.
Its characters are real and well-rounded
Actor Piper Curda carries the film with her lively and realistic performance as Mabel. She is simply one of those Millennial/Gen Z activists you find outside a supermarket or in your neighborhood, handing out flyers or collecting petition signatures. From a young age, she tries to protect any and all animals, doing whatever she can to make the slightest difference, making her instantly lovable.
However, Mabel is far from perfect; her efforts to protect the glade and the animals inadvertently make things worse. Not only does she inspire the animals to murder Jerry, but she also accidentally kills the insect queen (Meryl Streep). In the end, Mabel shows that, despite her good intentions, she can be just as destructive as anyone else, as she violates the order of nature in her quest to protect it.
At the same time, Saturday Night Live alum Bobby Moynihan does exceptionally well playing the charismatic, down-to-earth King George. While he is a very nonchalant leader, we can feel his crown weighing him down as the conflict intensifies, making him a real and reliable figure.
Jon Hamm also steals the show with his comedic performance as the villain Mayor Jerry, who is essentially the film’s version of Rick and Morty‘s Jerry. Behind his cheap smile and glossy hairdo, this guy is another cowardly, self-obsessed, and insecure politician. This makes it especially hilarious to see the film put him through the wringer in his and Mabel’s chaotic adventure. Nevertheless, the way Jerry grows in this story shows that there is hope for humanity as long as they listen to one another.
Animation filled with life and laughs
As always, the animation in this Pixar film is top-tier. The characters and visuals in Hoppers display a wild energy rarely seen in Pixar movies, making it a distinctive addition to the studio’s filmography. The frenetic camerawork and exaggerated facial expressions look very anime-inspired. The way Mabel’s enraged hair flares up makes her look like she was drawn by Studio Ghibli.
However, Hoppers establishes itself as its own film, with a dark, more extreme humor that is unlike what we have come to expect from Pixar. The way the film bluntly and humorously handles animals eating each other is guaranteed to make kids and adults crack up. We also got an evil butterfly king (Dave Franco) controlling a robot and creating chaos as if Joffrey Baratheon had become the Terminator. I was honestly laughing and questioning the film I was watching when Diane the Shark (Vanessa Bayer) showed up.
As a Pixar fan since childhood, Hoppers came as a delightful surprise. The film presented a mature yet lighthearted tale about humanity’s relationship with nature, hooking me with compelling ideas and some instantly iconic characters. It also deviated from its predecessors with its unique style of humor and animation, making it even more enjoyable. With Toy Story 5 just around the corner, it is clear that Hoppers has kicked off a stellar year for Pixar.