Hoppers ~ Review

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I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that Pixar has been in a tiny slump lately. It’s nothing huge, but their last release, Elio, lacked the emotional specificity that other Pixar projects have. Because of that missing piece, Elio, while not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, just felt a little hollow. It was like the film was too afraid to take any risks, and thus was bland. What Pixar needed was an injection of irreverence and ambition tied to that emotional specificity. Hoppers feels like a breath of fresh air for the studio. A movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but also does not stray from the tried-and-true Pixar emotional feel.
 
19-year-old Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is a hot-headed animal rights activist who is desperate to stop Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) from building a highway through a very important glade. You see, Mabel’s grandmother introduced her to this special place when she was a little girl. It was where Mable went to calm her anger by enjoying nature. So, Mabel comes up with a plan to reintroduce a beaver species to the glade, which will bring back the natural wildlife that have all mysteriously left. When she stumbles onto her professor’s (Kathy Najimy) experimental Hopper technology – wherein a human’s brain is transferred into a robot animal’s body, allowing the human to communicate with the animals – Mabel figures out a way to save the glade using this technology. Mabel befriends a crew of animals led by a king beaver named George (Bobby Moynihan), who might help her in her quest.
 
Hoppers is a lot of fun. The script by Daniel Chong (who also directs) and Jesse Andrews has the energy of a ramshackle 1980’s comedy – something like Real Genius, where the jokes fly fast and furious and in some portions feel like Mad magazine come to life. That anarchic energy is followed through in Chong’s direction, which is full of crash cuts, zooms, and even a dance number. But what makes Hoppers special is that it explores real emotional issues. Mabel is still in the throes of grief from the loss of her grandmother, and that loss expresses itself in her anger. It’s a potent mix and makes for a truly compelling film.
 
Piper Curda does excellent work as Mabel – giving a brash youthful energy to the character’s voice but also real heartfelt moments. Bobby Moynihan is hilarious as George – the beaver who sees the good in everybody. Dave Franco is another standout as the unhinged insect king.
 
Hoppers is a delightful return to form for Pixar. Giving a weird, irreverent energy to their film catalogue. However, it surprised me when the film shifted gears into its more emotional moments, because those moments actually landed. I had a blast with this one, and I think it will be regarded as a new classic for the studio.
 
Four out of Four stars