Hoppers: A Heartwarming Ode to Nature and Community

Floundering as a company since the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney and Pixar is in desperate need of a win. Following a string of mixed success, the release of last November’s Oscar-nominated ‘Zootopia 2’ looked to be a turning point, at least on the animated side. Their latest release, Hoppers, keeps that winning streak going with an original pro-environment tale with much of the same zaniness and offbeat sense of humor audiences have come to expect, plus a lot of heart to make it that much more impactful. Urging audiences to embrace nature and wildlife before it is too late and is no longer around to appreciate. Though perhaps not the most subtle about it, this ode to nature and the power of community delivers one of the most entertaining, and heartwarming, roller coaster rides of the year so far. A film geared towards younger audiences, it has an inherent predictability to it, but, in spite of this, is an absolute blast. Coming from Pixar, the animation is there, the score is there, and the voice cast all deliver powerful performances. Featuring the likes of Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep among countless others, the talented all star cast assembled here all bring it regardless of the size of their roles, bringing a gravitas to their creature characters.

Hoppers is centered around Mabel (Curda), a young animal lover who wants nothing more than to keep the memory of her grandmother (Karen Huie) alive and save a nearby glade where they spent so much time together over the years. As each sat still and listened to nature and the surrounding wildlife, Mabel essentially grew up there but now, that glade came under attack by the uber-charismatic Jerry Generazzo (Hamm), the mayor of Beaverton (very much not a coincidence), was looking to complete his ambitious beltway project by building right through it. On paper, the only thing that could possibly stand in his way are the animals that called the glade home. However, those animals were somehow missing. Going through all the traditional steps to formalize her opposition to the project and getting nowhere, Mabel’s last ditch effort was to seize the opportunity to use a new technology she just happened to stumble onto. Called ‘Hoppers,’ the system allowed users to hop their consciousness into lifelike robot animal analogs to study and communicate with other animals on a more intimate level than ever before.

Hopping into the body of a cute little beaver, little did she know the kind of world she was about to uncover. More complex and elaborate than she could have ever imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver, King George (Moynihan), the king of the mammals (little  crown and all) and the king of a crowded pond that grew more crowded after taking on the displaced inhabitants of the glade. Disrupting the status quo and the pond’s respective set of rules, the eternal optimist and trusting George, over time, had grown far too comfortable with his surroundings. Challenging him, and the hoards of other wildlife that called the pond home, to venture outside of the safe confines of the pond and reclaim the glade, the gam truly began as the film revealed the extent Jerry was willing to go to execute the so-called will of the people, attempting to win re-election. Meanwhile, the biggest rule of ‘Hoppers’ was to not  tell the animals that the user is human. Surely not meant to be used for long as Mabel, the animal lover made a connection with these animals. Caring about them when no one else seemed to be, she persisted, but the longer they spend together, the more she put them in jeopardy. It’s easy to forget that they are animals, not people.

Stuck in the middle of the rivalry between Mabel and Jerry, a line had to be drawn, as she arguably put her own motivations before the wellbeing of the animals. Fighting him and evading ‘Hoppers’ creator Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) and her team, as they tried to disconnect Mabel and recover their beaver robot, there was no stopping her. This made for a decent level of tension, once the situation continued to escalate and more parties got involved. Turning to the animal council for a direction forward, the kings (or queens) of all other species (each with their own little crowns), they gathered at the behest of George to deliberate next steps. The diversity of perspectives provided an interesting contrast between the species, played up for comedic effect. Making a habit of avoiding confrontation, George would have to step up once said deliberation got out of hand, as Jerry became the main target of the council. Going against their wishes by trying to save Jerry, this made Mabel, George, and co, a more immediate target of theirs. An even more unusual union, that’s what made their team-up so odd yet so fun to watch. Unlike the common politician stereotype, Jerry has a self-awareness to him where even he can realize and admit to being wrong. Culminating in a zany, perfect storm type of climax, the ‘hero’ sequence is likely to be among the best of the year. While these kinds of films tend to gravitate towards the happy ending, in this case, this ending hit just a bit more (the film’s cutesy animals may or may not have played a part in that outcome).

As mentioned, Hoppers delivers on a technical level. In terms of animation, Pixar certainly hasn’t lost a beat. Bright, vibrant, and colorful, characters and environments have all the detail audiences have come to expect. Creating what amounts to two films in one, it takes place from two perspectives, that of humans and that of animals. Each is a world of its own, based on how they look and interact with their surroundings. To humans, animals are animals and creatures viewed from afar, with their many intricacies hidden behind their glassy eyes and a communication barrier. The same could be said about the relationship between animals and humans. While there is still a communication gap, their eyes are more lifelike as they open up to reveal a beautiful community where a wide range of animals lived side by side in harmony. The more interesting side, there’s more possibility with these animal characters as the relationship between Mabel and George, both facing major stakes and carrying the emotional weight of the film. The pair, as well as Curda and Moynihan, are the best part, showing range in bringing the film energy and giving their characters a vulnerability to them that offers audiences plenty to unpack.

Hoppers delivers a thrilling animated adventure that brings a lot of laughs and a lot of heart, in an emotional tale about the power of nature and community.

still courtesy of Disney/Pixar

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.