Pixar’s latest is The Lion King meets The Matrix with a healthy helping of environmentalism but in the most bonkers way possible. Hoppers is absolutely bananas and a dam good time.
Hoppers Review
In 1994, The Lion King made a huge impression on me and every other kid at the time. Mufasa explained the Circle of Life in a way that was gentle and not jarring at all. Then in 1999 The Matrix showed humans consciousness being transferred into bodies that were like their own but not exactly. As adults, we got into Game of Thrones and the like which depicted the intricacies and complexities of court. Now take all of those notions and put it into a film about a girl that can talk to animals and you have a rough idea of what you’re getting into with Hoppers.
Director and co-writer Daniel Chong’s film is a high-spirited, comedic romp through the animal kingdom that is absolutely bonkers. It’s not a simple allegory about climate change or human’s being horrible to animals, it goes beyond that. The animal kingdom feels like a PG version of Game of Thrones, where the Circle of Life is present in a far more in our face way. I mean if you gotta eat, eat. Its influences don’t stop with those, it also draws from Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, The Lorax, and as much as I’m not a fan of it… Avatar. It’s a film that touches on the burdens of being an animal king, environmentalism, science-fiction, and even some horror. If that sounds weird or that it shouldn’t work, you’re right but Chong and Luca’s Jesse Andrews pull it off for a breakneck race from start to finish.
Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is a spirited young woman who has a history of fighting the power. As a child she tried (and failed) to rescue all the class pets from their prisons. Although it didn’t work, Mabel maintained that righteous fury that her grandmother (Karen Huie) tried to help hone into something more peaceful yet still tenacious during their visits to the peaceful glade by her house. But when she is 19, Beavertown’s mayor, Jerry (Jon Hamm) has plans to destroy the glade and build his beltway that’ll save citizens a whole 5 minutes off their commutes. Mabel and Jerry already have battled in the past but this time he has gone too far. In order to save the glade, she needs to bring a beaver back, since it is a keystone species. Fortunately, her professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) has a way to help. She has built technology that allows humans to “hop” into the body of an animatronic animal. Mabel hijacks the beaver body and sets off into the wild to try and save the glade.
Mabel befriends King George (Bobby Moynihan), who isn’t just the leader of the beavers but of all the mammals in the region. He actually has a similar story to Simba, complete with a power hungry Uncle, and also like Simba he is the reluctant ruler. Unlike Simba though, he doesn’t look as magnificent taking his place as king. But I digress. George is a lovable, kindhearted, sees the good in people er animals around him, and is generally a welcoming kinda beaver. He wants the best for everyone and believes that everyone else also wants to think/act that way. He is the perfect foil to Mabel’s more pessimistic, gritty view on life. Although to be fair to her, humans really are horrible sometimes so she’s not wrong. What started as Mabel trying to save her glade, turns into the tale-as-old-as-time, living with the land, a staple of Disney films and a great attraction at EPCOT. George’s sanctuary is overrun and he sees no way to help that other than to grin and bear it (pun intended) whereas Mabel in all her fieriness wants to, you guessed it, fight the power.
Chong started work on this film after his Cartoon Network series “We Bare Bears” ended. That show was about three wild bears trying to integrate with human society. A lot of its DNA carries over into his feature film debut, with physical gags, gross humor, and quirky antics. Even the show’s focus on the beauty of natural world in contrast to the humdrum human lives is present throughout. But as much as the body oils of an animal are gross to us, these creatures are also super cute because this is Pixar and if you’re getting anything, it’s amazing character designs. I thought it was clever how from the human’s perspective the animals had beady eyes and typical fur stylings. When the viewpoint shifted, they came alive with their unique designs that matched their personalities. Of course Pixar is going to wow you somewhere and here they show off just what they are known for with rich environments and a moment where thousands of butterflies fly across the screen at once.
The fight to save the glade takes one hilarious turn after another. This movie is one insane ride from start to finish that manages to throw in some heartfelt moments even as things get wild. There are some horror elements too as the animatronics eventually get used for other purposes (no spoilers!), nefarious ones naturally. Hey, we’ve seen scary in Disney movies before. I mean Scar killed his brother and tried to wipe out his nephew too. Ernesto threatened Miguel, Maleficent literally called on the powers of hell. I think everyone can handle some robotic scares. There is also a scene that made us all collectively gasp a little and then laugh, when some mammal on insect violence occurs. Oops! These things happen.
Verdict
Hoppers is a loving crafted, environmentalist tale that takes some massive swings for some dam good results. It’s chaotic, unique, quirky, and never gets overly preachy with its messaging. Underneath the animal kingdom antics, horror, and sci-fi plot devices, Hoppers teaches kids (and reminds adults) that we don’t have to fight the powers that be alone. If that seems simplistic, it is, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s about understanding one another and learning how to listen, truly listen to what another person (or animal) has to say. In that way, Hoppers is surprisingly sweet but without the customary Pixar tear fest we are used to. And as thrilled as I am for more Toy Story, it’s always refreshing to get a new story and meet new friends.
Hoppers is in theaters March 6. It is rated PG for action/peril, some scary images and mild language with a runtime of 1 hour 45 minutes.
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