Hoppers
By Ryan Michael Painter
Hoppers is Pixar’s 30th feature and, despite some notable missteps, the studio’s track record is still remarkable. Even a few of their stumbles have outpaced the competition. Pixar’s reputation is its biggest obstacle.
Elio, Pixar’s only release in 2025, was a critical misfire that struggled its way to a worldwide total of $150 million. So, is Hoppers a return to form, or are we already looking forward to the June release of Toy Story 5 to put the studio back on top?
**NOTE: You can read Ryan’s review below, then use the links to watch or listen as he and Mark discuss the film in more depth. Remember, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
105 Minutes Rated PG
Directed by Daniel Chong
Written by Daniel Chong and Jesse Andrews
Synopsis:
In Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers, animal lover Mabel 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 a major, imminent human-threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo.
The film has a delightful beginning that finds Mabel, our protagonist, rebelling against the establishment in her own unique way. We are quickly made aware that this is not Mabel’s first foray into activism. Her reputation precedes her.
Mabel is then dropped off at her grandmother’s home by her exacerbated mother. Grandma, a kindred spirit, takes an angry Mabel to sit on a rock near a pond and asks her to listen and watch the wildlife and nature that surrounds her.
A clumsy montage of a decade’s sitting by the pond pushes us through to the present where a construction crew are actively building a highway where the pond once was. Irate, Mabel turns to one of her college professors (a surrogate grandmother) for advice.
The conversation sends Mabel off on an adventure that includes technology that allows her to infiltrate and communicate with a group of displaced animals in hope of convincing them to return to their former home.
Yes, Hoppers features an environmental message. No, it doesn’t feature the slightest effort to suggest anyone, children or otherwise, should dress in furry costumes.
Mabel, we hardly knew you. Despite a strong start, Hopper suffers from ineffective character development. The opening sequence is fantastic, but its efforts to emotionally ground the film in Mabel and her grandmother’s relationship comes up short.
I understand the desire to get to the meat of the narrative, but leaping forward ultimately undermines the heart and soul of the film. With Up Pixar proved that the weight of a lifetime of memories could be communicated in 10 minutes (with almost no dialogue).
Had Hoppers come remotely close to capturing that brilliance I would have felt more connected to Mabel. I would have been more than lightly entertained. I would have cared.
Hoppers isn’t bad. It’s simply mediocre. The easiest comparison being The Wild Robot, which features similar themes and manages to convince audiences to invest emotionally in its metallic protagonist.
You’ll probably like Hoppers. Just don’t expect for it to linger too long in your consciousness.
Hoppers features the voice talents of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Dave Franco and Kathy Najimy and is in theaters March 5, 2025.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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