“Avatar” with beavers? No, but it is the same studio. Made by none other than Daniel Chong, the creator of the Cartoon Network show “We Bare Bears,” “Hoppers” brings Pixar magic, with just as much humor as there is heart.
“Hoppers” follows Mabel, voiced by Piper Curda, a 19-year-old girl looking to save a local animal habitat from destruction. She then discovers technology developed by her professor, allowing her to put her consciousness inside a robotic beaver. Mabel then traverses the animal world, befriending the residents of the dam, learning their ways and discovering the animal world as she has never before.
The animation in this film is stunning, with picturesque backgrounds and hilarious character expressions. One of my personal favorite parts of the style is the way the animals look cartoony from their perspective, but more realistic from the humans. It makes it even more comedic as well as making the animals look more cuddly and huggable.
"Hoppers", by Daniel Chong Photo credit: IMDb.com
I thought the landscapes and textures of the film were stunning. They immersed you in the natural world, furthering the film’s message of protecting nature and environmentalism.
Mabel’s character design was also gorgeous; she looked like a real, everyday person instead of a stunning main character. Pixar has always succeeded in making unique characters.
The voice acting in this film is also impeccable. Curda brings so much character to Mabel, showcasing her passionate personality. Bobby Moynihan as King George is also a highlight, bringing his comedic chops to one of my personal favorite characters in the film.
Mabel(Piper Curda) and King George(Bobby Moyihan) in "Hoppers" Photo credit: IMDb.com
Jon Hamm is wonderful as Mayor Jerry, who is such a fun villain (who has been massively crushed on online.) And, of course, I can’t forget about the infamous Pixar employee Tom Law playing Tom Lizard, whose meme fame brought the film even more success.
“Hoppers” is, dare I say, the funniest Pixar film I have seen. It is unhinged and absolutely hilarious, with jokes I was surprised were able to make it to a film under the Disney umbrella.
Between a shark flying in the sky looking straight out of “Sharknado,” the upheaval of a monarchy, malfunctioning robots and bald beavers, I was wheezing the whole night through.
Daniel Chong truly managed to bring the unhinged comedy of “We Bare Bears” and bring it up a notch. The best and most shocking scene for sure is with the animal council, though.
All the cameos and easter eggs in the movie made it even more lovable. Seeing the infamous Pixar A113, a “We Bare Bears” toy in Mabel’s bedroom, the three birds from the “For The Birds” short, a “Toy Story” alien and a Wilderness Explorer sticker on Mabel’s phone, and even connections to “Up”, “Wall-E” and “Lightyear” made me happy.
Chong even brought in Eric Edelstein, Bobby Moynihan and Demetri Martin from “We Bare Bears”. He also somehow got Meryl Streep to voice the Insect Queen in the movie, which is an insane feat in itself.
SZA’s end-credit song “Save The Day” is truly beautiful, displaying the film’s message of grief, connecting with nature and Mabel’s character so well. The song definitely is up there with “Sunflower” by Post Malone, “Something That I Want” by Grace Potter and “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts as the best songs used in the end credits of an animated movie.
Most of all, “Hoppers” has the emotion we all know and love from Pixar. Mabel’s connection with her grandmother is incredibly heartwarming, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a few tears. Her grief is also beautifully displayed, showing her battle of fighting anger and learning to calm herself down by being in nature.
The movie’s message of respecting nature and the benefits of connecting with it is something a generation full of screens can definitely appreciate. Hopefully, after families watch this movie, kids will want to observe a woodland glade over their iPad.
“Hoppers” is a film you’ll want to hop to theaters for. If you want zany, unhinged, heartfelt, classic Pixar vibes, this is the movie for you.
