For the longest time, Pixar has set the benchmark when it comes to animated movies. Rival studios have certainly given them a run for their money in recent years, whether it's Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot. Still, when a new Pixar release is looming, excitement is always high, and Hoppers is an instant classic that ranks among their best movies.
Hoppers follows Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to "hop" her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries in the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver, King George, and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face the town's smooth-talking local mayor, Jerry Generazzo, who plans to build an overpass through their pond. It also holds deep meaning for Mabel and her grandmother, who is responsible for the plucky lead's love and respect for nature.
As Mabel explores the animal world, both she and the audience are treated to an eye-opening glimpse into the natural order of things—including pond rules—and soon finds herself in over her head as she attempts to convince the former inhabitants of that pond to return home and reclaim their home from Mayor Jerry and his construction workers. This may not sound like a particularly groundbreaking premise, but with Pixar's usual flair, it's taken to the next level. There's a strong message about conservation and the way humans treat the entire planet as their own, but it's never preachy. Instead, the movie goes to some wildly, wholly unique places, instead of the good animals vs. bad humans clash you might expect after watching the trailers. With that, the film hops to new heights with wit, wonder, and a robotic beaver.
In terms of humour, Hoppers is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. There are some terrific visual gags, jokes aimed squarely at the adults in the audience, and at least one moment that elicited gasps of surprise—followed by roars of laughter—in our screening. Jesse Andrews' (Luca) script is whipsmart, and subverts expectations in a way that leads to one of the best final acts of any Pixar movie.
At this point, it goes without saying that the animation is gorgeous to look at. This is, after all, a movie from the studio behind Toy Story, Coco, and Soul. There are some wonderful visual flares throughout, such as the way the appearance of the animals changes depending on whether the story is being told from a human or animal perspective (the animal characters become far more expressive in their own world, but look and sound like regular woodland critters outside of that setting). The movie's direction, courtesy of filmmaker Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears: The Movie), is superb. His comic timing, coupled with what Andrews put down on the page, combines to create a joyous, chaotic celebration of empathy that reminds us that it can be found by daring to live someone else's life, even if that life has a tail and fur, and is coupled with a human's surprisingly revolutionary spirit.
Piper Curda steals the show as Mabel, while Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, and Meryl Streep are all on top form in a movie that casts the best people possible for these characters rather than relying solely on name recognition alone. Dave Franco is another highlight as Titus, the delightfully despicable Insect King, who allows the actor to shine with a manic comic performance that serves this touching tale well.
Even Pixar isn't immune to the odd miss, but Hoppers strikes an emotional chord in a side-splittingly funny adventure that is easy to get invested in. Late in the movie, an apex predator is added to the mix in a bid to deal with Mayor Jerry. Not only will you never see the animal's identity coming, but this bonkers, brilliant moment is indicative of a movie that will leave you grinning ear-to-ear...and might just make you want to be kinder to our animal friends, in the process.
Hoppers is another perfect Pixar film that's laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully heartfelt, boasting a strong, moving message that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Or, to put it another way, ❤️🦫🪵. [⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]