Hoppers
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Disney & Pixar hit the sweet spot with their hugely enjoyable, original animated film HOPPERS. An absolute blast of fun and action for all ages, the film manages to mix coming-of-age, an ecological message and broad comedy into one very tasty meal.
Writer/Director Daniel Chong, leading his first big screen effort, weaves a clever tale, starting with introducing us to Mabel (Lila Liu as a child,Piper Curda as a teen) as she attempts to free all the pet animals in her school, "Elliott in ET" style. She winds up in the principals office and then with her Grandma Tanaka (beautifully voiced by Karen Hule). Her time with Grandma is well spent, taking a moment to sit and take in all the nature around them.
Time passes and we see Mabel again at 19, still rebelling and in all-out protection mode against the land grabbing Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm), whose latest freeway project has driven all the animals out of Mabel and her Grandma's favorite nature spot.
This is where the film takes a big, fun leap, bringing in a wild science experiment at a local university where Mabel's Biology Professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) is doing cutting edge work to place a human consciousness into a perfectly designed robot beaver they've created. By "Hopping" into the robot, they can observe the animals carrying on conversations just like their human counterparts.
It's so obviously like "Avatar" that Mabel actually says, 'Hey this is just like "Avatar" which Dr. Sam and her team feverishly and hilariously deny in a perfect meta moment.
The animation is fantastic, seamlessly blending nature atmospheres that blow your doors off with the cutest, funniest animals that inhabit it. My 4 year old grandson LOVED this movie and has watched it numerous times on Disney+ after seeing it in the theater.
This is Pixar magic at its finest, introducing us to an original story that's very funny, generates real suspense and has some moments of drama and action on a grand scale.
Hamm is hilarious as the Mayor, with an ego bigger than his smile. Dave Franco and Meryl Streep lend their great voice work to two members of the Animal & Insect Council, showing that slow government decisions also extend to the animal world.
Bobby Moynihan steals his scenes as King George, the King Beaver who isn't very excited about making waves or being the center of attention.
The film's environmental message is sweet and never preachy or heavy-handed, blending nicely with the adventure. I never knew about Beavers being a "keystone species" in the ecosystem, but I know now! Anytime you can teach me something while entertaining me at the same time, it lands.
Viewers with a keen eye or an appreciation for Disney films will find plenty to admire on Dr. Sam's big blackboard!
The comedy style is much broader than a typical Pixar film and it serves these characters well. I loved how each animal species had a very different attitude and place in that universe.
The final car chase with Mayor Jerry speeding away in his convertible with every species in pursuit is a visual feast of stunts, action and the biggest airborne great white shark you've ever seen.
It's enjoyable to watch Mabel go from having no power as a teen to unexpected power when she hops into the robot beaver. It's what she does with that power that's the core of the story.
With an impressive visual style, great voice actors and plenty of comedy and fun to keep kids of all ages 100% engaged, HOPPERS soars to an A. We can't wait to watch it again when the boys come over. This one will be on repeat watch.
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