Pixar has had a mixed track record in the 2020s, but fortunately, it’s new release is one of the better flicks from the animation studio.
The latest feature from the Disney affiliate centers on Mabel (Piper Curda), a college student who cares deeply about animals and nature. Her appreciation puts her at great odds with her city’s mayor, Jerry (Jon Hamm), who intends to develop a highway bypass. Doing so would mean the destruction of a natural area Mabel holds dear.
One night, when looking for solutions with few options left, she learns of a program at her college which has developed life-like robots, one of which looks like a beaver. The robots are controllable by humans with a neural link, and Mabel takes control of one to connect with animals and lead them in taking back there home under threat.
The best thing about “Hoppers,” which is present from the start, is an infectious energy and drive, largely thanks to the film’s deeply motivated protagonist. The audience is first introduced to Mabel as an elementary school student who is firm in her love for animals and idealistic in effort to preserve nature, partially inspired by her grandmother, before a time skip.
The passion she carries into young adulthood transcends the screen onto the audience, and it gets a viewer invested in the story set to take place over the next hour and a half. It also mixes nicely with the exciting, near manic aura with much of the film’s adventure, character behaviors and humor.
The professor in charge of the Hopper technology has an almost mad scientist quality, action set pieces reach bombastic levels and the pacing is fast. It makes for a largely entertaining flick, which keeps a viewer engaged from start to finish. That’s important, as the story is largely pedestrian.
It’s no secret that the “save this natural habitat” has been a very common trope in family media for decades, all the way back to “The Lorax” (both versions actually). That’s extended to live action flicks, too, such as 2001’s “Dr. Dolittle 2,” which was another picture where individuals sided with animals against bureaucrats and big business.
And, yeah, that’s the concept at play here, right down to a primary antagonist having a rather generic look, suit and all. There’s also a very recent example of a movie exploring the cross section of technology, nature and humanity’ impact really well, in 2024’s brilliant animated feature “The Wild Robot.”
The fairly standard narrative doesn’t work as well in this movie’s favor, as there are moments where it feels like worn ground is being tread over again. However, it also needs to be stated that there are still plenty of selling points with “Hoppers.” First, the movie approaches its environmental theme with genuineness and heart.
It’s not done just for the sake of it, or to pander with a simple message. This wasn’t a situation of a team throwing darts at family story options. It’s approached with real conviction. Additionally, the film includes some unique plot turns in its third act which sets itself apart with enough nuance.
That uniqueness extends to the animation, too. There’s a nice detail when it comes to the characters who connect with their robots. From the perspective of the pilots, their appearance has some similarities to their human self, but when looked at by other animals or people, their respective robots simply look like authentic creatures.
It adds an interesting optical layer, not only enhancing character personalities, but also provoking some thought about how humans perceive animals and nature through different lenses. That, mixed with the quality animation expected from Pixar, including creative character designs, makes for a strong movie visually.
As previously mentioned, the film’s protagonist is an important factor, too. Mabel is good hero, a classic, likable character with a share of flaws balanced by her heart of gold. Mabel is voiced by Piper Curda, who recently was featured cinematically in 2023’s Oscar nominated “May December” and brings a plethora of TV experience.
She infuses Mabel with a great deal of charisma and is able to get across the character’s sympathetic moments convincingly. The voice cast is well rounded, too.
Comedian Bobby Moynihan is quite good as the beaver monarch King George, while Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm lends some credibility to the Mayor, Jerry. Plus, longtime comedic actress Kathy Najimy, with a mixed background of live action and voice roles, is solid as the scientist Sam.
Overall, while it definitely takes a largely formulaic narrative route, and perhaps doesn’t reach the emotional heights of other entries in Pixar’s decorated history, “Hoppers” holds its own. The protagonist is great, the voice acting has high quality, the animation is appealing, there’s creativity in the designs and the flick has an electric vibe that holds a viewer. 3.8 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 