The highly anticipated Pixar movie “Hoppers” released in theaters nationwide March 6. The film follows 19-year-old animal lover Mabel Tanaka who learns the mayor of her city is building a highway through an abandoned glade. Mabel had built a special connection to the glade with her grandma and didn’t want to see it destroyed. In an attempt to save the glade, she transports her consciousness into a robotic beaver with the mission of finding a real beaver to move back into the glade. If a beaver returned to the glade, then other animals would follow and the glade would be restored, preventing the mayor from building his highway there.
What initially caught my eye about this movie wasn’t the plot, but the character designs of the animals. Every animal is eye-catching. Their designs are special, unique to the animals’ personalities yet true to their species. I felt this helped boost the overall creativity of the film. Small details were kept in mind such as Mabel’s hair. Her hair, which is a bit messy in her human design, translated over to her beaver design as a small tuft of scruffy fur on her head.
Another detail I appreciated was the difference in how the animals were perceived depending on whose perspective we were watching from. When the movie is focused on the animals’ perspectives, their eyes are cartoonishly big and they all speak English. But when we’re watching through a human’s perspective, the animals have small black eyes and sound like actual animals. This creates some comedic moments whenever the animals and humans try interacting with each other.
As for the storyline, I went into the film solely expecting a lighthearted comedy, typical to how the movie had been advertised before its release. While the film definitely had comedy throughout its runtime, it also had surprisingly emotional moments which made the story feel more connected to audiences. The moments with Mabel’s grandma, the relationships she built with the animals and her genuine care for the environment make the movie much more than a funny animal film.
“Hoppers” is an entertaining and captivating watch able to foster both laughter and tears. It’s fun, creative and unique. While the movie has only recently come out, it definitely feels like it’ll be one of Pixar’s best films in years. Although it doesn’t do anything revolutionary, it feels like something special amongst other current releases. I’d recommend “Hoppers” to fans of animation, animals and comedy.
Rating: 4.5/5
