If you thought Pixar was sticking to their usual script, Hoppers is here to show you just how wild their imagination can get. Directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears), this film starts as a heartwarming story about protecting our planet but quickly transforms into a high-energy, hilarious animal adventure. Think of it as a mix of the epic scale of Avatar and the unpredictable, slapstick fun of a backyard zoo gone wild.
The Plot: “Hopping” Into the Wild
The story follows Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a college student and fierce animal lover who is mourning her grandmother and trying to save a local glade from Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm), who wants to pave it over for a highway.
Mabel discovers a secret “Hoppers” program that allows her to transfer her consciousness into a hyper-realistic robotic beaver. Her mission? Infiltrate the colony and rally the animals. But once she meets King George (Bobby Moynihan), the “King of the Mammals,” things go from “scientific research” to “absolute mayhem” real fast.
A Love Letter to the (Very Detailed) Wild
The “nature element” in this movie is staggering. Pixar’s tech has reached a point where the environment isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character.
• Visual Fidelity: The water physics in the “Superlodge” are some of the best I’ve ever seen. You can almost smell the pine and damp earth.
• The Perspective Shift: The film brilliantly changes how it renders animals. When Mabel is human, the beavers look like realistic, slightly scary rodents. When she “hops” into her robot body, the world becomes more vibrant and the animals gain expressive, cartoonish features.
• The Complexity: It captures the “Pond Rules” of nature—the idea that the glade is a delicate, interconnected network—without being preachy.
Just How Insane Does It Get?
This is where the review needs a “buckle up” disclaimer. While the first act is a grounded story about grief and activism, the third act is a total fever dream.
Without spoiling too much, the movie features:
1. An Insect Uprising: Led by an Insect Queen (voiced by Meryl Streep!), the bugs of the glade join the fight in a way that is both visually stunning and deeply “creepy-crawly.”
2. The Shark Lift: There is a sequence involving a Great White Shark named Diane being airlifted by over 400 seagulls. It is as ridiculous as it sounds and easily the highlight of the film’s “anarchic logic.”
3. The Villain’s Final Form: The climax involves technology, sound waves, and a physical transformation for the antagonist that feels more like a horror-comedy than a standard Disney villain defeat. It has “Judge Doom” energy in the best way possible.
The Verdict
Hoppers is a refreshing “punk-edge” addition to the Pixar library. It manages to be a sincere look at how we treat the planet while also featuring a “derpy” lizard (Tom) who became a viral meme for a reason.
It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s arguably the most “out there” concept Pixar has ever fully committed to. If you want to see a robotic beaver lead a multi-species revolution against Jon Hamm, this is the movie for you.
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter/X, Instagram @iamcg83