Film Review: Hoppers
Hoppers will have families rolling in the aisles as Pixar returns to conquer the box office with another absolutely brilliant CGI adventure. A clever narrative takes a hysterical dig at Avatar and Game of Thrones with thoughtful nature conservation themes. Children also get a stealth lesson in coping with tragedy, the value of friendships, and conflict resolution in stressful predicaments. A feisty and determined protagonist learns that teamwork makes the dream work with just a tinge of sadness. Hoppers, much like Up and Inside Out, gets a sprinkle of tears on the way to its happy ending.
Set in the fictional town of Beaverton, we first meet young Mabel Tanaka (Lila Liu) trying to free all the caged animals at her elementary school. Chaos predictably ensues with angry teachers and students tired of Mabel's unsuccessful jailbreaks. She's dropped off at her beloved Grandma's (Karen Huie) house in an exasperated huff, but is calmed down by the scenic beauty of a backyard pond called the Glade. Mabel and Grandma meditate in silence and watch awestruck as the local wildlife comes out of hiding.
Years later, Mabel (Piper Curda), now a 19-year-old university student, tries to honor Grandma's memory by preserving the Glade at all costs. She's locked in a pitch battle with Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm), Beaverton's slimy mayor, who wants to extend a freeway through the Glade and destroy the wetlands. Mabel has managed to delay the construction, but Jerry has finally achieved the upper hand. Every Glade critter has mysteriously vanished. The project will proceed in 48 hours if there are no animals left.
A despondent Mabel doesn't understand why the animals disappeared and how she'll be able to lure them back. The answer presents itself when Mabel sees a beaver acting strangely. She follows it to a secret university lab where Dr. Fairfax (Kathy Najimy) has invented an ingenious way to infiltrate and communicate with the animal kingdom.
Dr. Fairfax's spirited defense of her "hoppers" technology not being an Avatar knockoff keeps James Cameron chuckling and his legal team at bay. Although Disney owns every copyright, so I'm sure the suits had no issues being smartly lampooned by Mabel masquerading as a robotic beaver. It's a nearly nonstop laugh riot as Mabel's attempts to communicate with the animals and get them back to the Glade doesn't go according to plan. She literally opens a new can of worms as her human interpretation of animal behavior leads to unexpected outcomes.
Director Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears) and co-screenwriter Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Luca) strike a perfect balance between zany animal antics and developing Mabel's maturity as a character. She always means well, and tries to do the right thing, but initially succumbs to anger and aggression. Mabel has never processed the loss of her grandmother and impulsively lashes out when frustrated. Her burgeoning friendship with the wise and friendly beaver monarch, King George (Bobby Moynihan), forces Mabel to address her unresolved grief while fighting for the greater good. Even the youngest tykes will understand Mabel's journey and see how sharing with others can help to move forward from a dark place.
Chong and Andrews also get high praise for not being predictable. Hoppers conceals its endgame with several sharp twists that keep audiences hooked until a banner climax. Mabel and King George aren't the only players involved in saving the Glade. Game of Thrones fans are going to be delighted as a wily supporting character makes his presence felt in the battle against Jerry and humankind. Diabolical larvae nearly steal the show with villainous machinations. Yup…you read that right.
Hoppers joins Pixar's pantheon of best films as a worthy entry. It hits every high note with superb animation that never takes you out of the story with overblown visuals. You can't help but cheer as a lovable and endearing cast scurries, swims, and flies to animal glory, and where even the selfish Jerry gets his comeuppance with a smile.
Hoppers is a production of Pixar Animation Studios. It will be released theatrically on March 6th from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
