This review was made possible by attending a public preview screening of Hoppers
Pixar has built an empire out of asking increasingly strange emotional “what if?” questions. First, it was toys. Then, bugs, fish, and Monsters. Then Cars. Eventually, it reached the point where the studio was even examining the feelings inside our own heads in Inside Out. Now, Hoppers feels like a cross-merge of those past ideas. What if robotic beavers had feelings, politics and a revolution brewing? The end result? A hilariously funny and creative film about community, full of great jokes and emotion running through its narrative.
This review contains discussion about Hoppers’ plot with mild spoilers scattered throughout; you have been warned!
A Protagonist With Purpose
Every good film needs a strong lead, and Mabel (Piper Curda) delivers that for Hoppers. Her ambitious nature and care for the wildlife and local nature make her instantly easy to root for. From the get-go, we’re introduced to her heated rivalry with Jerry the Mayor (Jon Hamm), which is hilarious, especially in the first act — with their conflict offering some initial humorous moments, including varied shots of the two staring each other down in a fun sort of montage sequence we get to see. By the end of the narrative, the pair go on quite the journey, exploring their dynamic as they come into contact in an attempt to save both Jerry and the glade, setting the film on a path which I didn’t see coming, which is entirely refreshing.
What I connected with most was her relationship with her grandmother, especially as someone with a strong bond with my own — it makes films so much more emotional when you’re allowed to connect on a personal level with some of the characters’ experiences, and I really felt that here. Throughout the film, she feels ever-present in Mabel’s motivations, despite being away from the main story’s events and conflict. She opened up the world of nature and animals to her, and the callbacks to the rock they would sit on together are beautiful.
The sequence that defines Hoppers comes during the climax. As fire tears through the glade and threatens the town, animals and humans work together to destroy the dam and flood the area, extinguishing the blaze. It’s a really solid finale that ties up the film’s narrative, promoting the idea of unity which is at it’s core, and bringing together the various ensembles, including the glade’s animals, the council of animals, and even the humans.
All Hail The King Beaver
Bobby Moynihan brings warmth and sincerity to King George, balancing naivety with genuine responsibility as the leader of the glade’s community. The dynamic between him and Mabel grows naturally, starting with his hilarious dance party, his hard work, and later the comedic misunderstanding where George assumes Mabel wants to be his mate just as she attempts to reveal she is human. From that point on, she becomes his “hand,” and the story’s chaos ramps up quickly.
The only area that feels slightly rushed is the fallout from the reveal when Mabel is untethered from her robotic body; it should have felt seismic. Instead, the narrative moves swiftly into an insane animal kidnapping and final act escalation, leaving very little space to sit in the shock of it all. I think it is this moment which hurts the film’s pacing, its emotion, and ultimately prevents it from being an all-timer Pixar title. It feels like a moment that needed time for the emotional fallout, to have more of a reaction from one of the main characters to something so profoundly confusing and heartbreaking at the same time.
Pixar’s Detail Still Dazzles
Pixar continues to excel when it comes to the signature touch of animation. Small touches, such as the animals being portrayed as having tiny black eyes when viewed from a human perspective and more expressive, human-like eyes when the viewpoint shifts. The animals themselves are so cute, which helps emotionally. The forest sequences feel textured and alive. You hear and feel the wind, you’re exposed to so much life, and it makes the film feel alive in every outside sequence; you’re immersed in the animal kingdom so well.
Small note: The Toy Story 5 trailer played ahead of the film, and it looked superb. The lighting, the depth, and the clarity of movement of the toys as they navigate both the toy and the real world. Pixar’s technical standard simply does not slip.
‘Hoppers’ – Final Thoughts
Hoppers thrives on its varying elements of creativity, sincerity, and chaos. A very rare occasion where I find myself laughing out loud at several of a film’s jokes in the cinema. The narrative feels inventive, and at its heart sits a surprisingly tender story about connection. Mabel’s drive, her grandmother’s legacy, and the absurd revolution of the insects all tie back to a simple idea about coexistence… and it is nothing like Avatar!
There are moments where the film moves a little too quickly, but it never loses its charm. In a landscape increasingly defined by franchises and sequels, Hoppers stands as a confident original that proves Pixar can still balance big ideas and small emotional beats, giving us one of their best in a while.
Hoppers releases in cinemas on March 6. Check out the trailer below:
The Review
Hoppers
Hoppers thrives on its varying elements of creativity, sincerity, and chaos. A very rare occasion where I find myself laughing out loud at several of a film's jokes in the cinema. The narrative feels inventive, and at its heart sits a surprisingly tender story about connection. Mabel’s drive, her grandmother’s legacy, and the absurd revolution of the insects all tie back to a simple idea about coexistence… and it is nothing like Avatar!
