Hoppers (dir. Daniel Chong)
By: Adam Freed
Nobody does family entertainment quite like Pixar. The animation giant has consistently helmed the cultural loom quilting together a thematically nuanced sense of sentimentality, humor, and empathetic reflection in a way that leads to a greater comprehension of what it means to be human. Pixar’s evolution has spanned the decades from Toy Story (1995) to Inside Out 2 (2024). Hoppers, Disney / Pixar’s latest offering, is a diabolically funny and devastatingly poignant commentary on the responsibility that humankind must embrace with regard to its treatment of the animal kingdom. What director Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears) lacks in directorial experience, he makes up for in ambition, as the veteran Pixar writer and animator becomes the the face of what is set to become the studio’s latest installment into the pantheon of excellence in animation.
When a young animal lover named Mabel (Piper Curda) is sent to stay with her environmentalist grandmother for attempting to liberate all of the class pets in her elementary school, she quickly learns the value of the peace and stillness that only nature can provide. Under the watchful eye of a somewhat predictable Pixar montage, Mabel evolves into a 19 year-old who still very much holds the sanctity of the outdoors, and the memory of her grandmother, closest to her heart. Where Hoppers soars is in its ability to resist the temptation of becoming tonally stagnant. While the protection of Mother Nature’s finest creations is a worthwhile cause, there are no shortage of films, from Ferngully (1992) to Avatar (2009) to bang the same thematic drum. Daniel Chong’s Hoppers is marvelously self aware in this regard, and even has a little self deprecating fun at its own expense regarding the film’s comparable machinations to James Cameron’s aforementioned eco-story. Despite the necessity of its message, Hoppers is wildly funny. Employing a brand of madcap joyful humor that Pixar hasn’t unearthed since the early days of the Toy Story franchise.
By utilizing a technology created by Mabel’s college professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), humans are able to transplant their consciousness into realistic robotic animal replicants. Mabel takes it upon herself (sans permission) to attempt to restore the beloved ecosystem that she and her grandmother once adored. If Daniel Chong’s film has a discernible flaw, it is that once all of the pieces of the plot puzzle are unveiled to the audience, predicting their eventual construction is far from challenging. But Hoppers overcomes its relative predictability by allowing the ride to that eventual destination to feel fresh and lively. The disparate ideologies of the numerous kings and queens from across the animal kingdom provides a lively insight into the way that animal-kind views one another and their separate relationships to humanity. As evidence of this, The Insect Queen (Meryl Streep) is far less forgiving to mankind after a lifetime of seeing her subjects squished than Mammal King George (Bobby Moynihan). Although Hoppers plays out as one is very likely to suspect, Pixar has once again met the high standard of its own creation. Suitable and enjoyable for families of all ages, Hoppers is one of the very few must-see film experiences of the year.
Target Score 8/10 - The animated juggling act of theme, humor and sentiment has been perfected by the gifted craftspeople at Pixar. The studio giant’s latest offering, Hoppers, clearly shares the creative DNA that made audiences weep in the opening act of Up, and forever changed the landscape of animation with Toy Story. Hoppers is family entertainment operating very close to its genre’s apex.