Hoppers

“This is NOTHING like Avatar!” insists a character in Hoppers, but perhaps she doth protest too much. Pixar’s latest does, after all, tell the story of a young woman who infiltrates the animal kingdom when scientists transfer her brain (or “hop”) into a robotic beaver, and the film does culminate in a massive battle between humans and their opponents over a piece of unspoiled nature.

But even if there’s more than a little James Cameron DNA in the screenplay by Jesse Andrews (Elio, Luca) — who shares story credit with director Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears) — Hoppers finds its own footing thanks to some memorable characters and elaborate set pieces. Viewers who judge Pixar movies on whether or not they make you weep may find themselves tickled and perhaps moved, though dry-eyed.

We meet Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Lila Liu) as a young student who’s fervently determined to liberate every last turtle, guinea pig, and snake from her grammar school; her passion for animals often spills over into rage, but her beloved Grandma (Karen Huie) teaches the girl that patience and quiet have their rewards, particularly when communing with nature. It’s a lesson that sticks with teen Mabel (Piper Curda, May December), who nonetheless loses her temper during her frequent arguments with Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm), who wants to build a mostly pointless highway on top of the pond where Mabel and Grandma watch the beavers and other animals make their homes.

When Mabel discovers that her college professor Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) has developed technology that allows for consciousness transfer to robotic animals, the student seizes the opportunity to convince the animals into keeping their homes in the pond. Discovering further chicanery by Jerry, beaver-Mabel becomes more of a firebrand, until she realizes her advocacy has inspired the animal kingdoms to work together to “squish” Jerry for good.

Kudos to Andrews for avoiding two clichéd tropes that Pixar seems to love: there’s no seemingly-benign authority figure who later turns out to be evil, and the two best-friend protagonists don’t have a falling-out for no other reason than to prompt the final act of the screenplay. Just about everyone in a power position here, from Jerry to animal monarchs voiced by the likes of Meryl Streep and Ego Nwodim, reveals their true personalities from the start.

The only benevolent authority is beaver George (Bobby Moynihan), who gets close with Mabel and also maintains perspective on the situation; as “king of the mammals,” he’s expected to hold dominion over human beings as well. While Mabel is furious with Jerry, it’s George who notes that “people places and animal places are all just places,” believing that “we’re all in this together.” (And no, they don’t sing the song from High School Musical, even if Disney does own it.)

It might also count as a sign of Pixar evolution that Grandma’s death is implied more than it’s dwelled upon; when early scenes show young Mabel bonding with and learning from her older relative, the expectation is for a the full Up treatment. Without bringing audiences to gut-wrenching sobs, however, Hoppers tells an effective story with wit and ingenuity, not to mention distinctive character design for every corner of the animal kingdom, from a kind-hearted shark (Vanessa Bayer) to a bratty caterpillar (Dave Franco).

Hoppers wants kids (and adults) to come away with renewed appreciation for nature and respect for our fellow travelers on the planet, but there’s a lovely pacifist moral hidden in there as well, one that suggests that cooperation is necessary to prevent mutual destruction. And in 2026, that’s a lesson that feels practical rather than theoretical.

Director: Daniel Chong
Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews; story by Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews
Cast: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Tom Law, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villaseñor, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Ego Nwodim, Nicole Sakura, Meryl Streep, Karen Huie, Lila Liu, Vanessa Bayer
Executive producers: Pete Doctor, Peter Sohn, Kiri Hart
Producer: Nicole Paradis Grindle
Directors of photography: Jeremy Lasky, Ian Megibbe
Production design: Bryn Imagire
Editing: Axel Geddes
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Sound design: Coya Elliott, supervising sound mixer; Stephen Urata, re-recording mixer
Production companies: Disney, Pixar
In English
105 minutes