Hoppers review: Pixar’s latest is a beautifully judged, adorably animated gem

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

After the modestly received Elio, Pixar returns strong with Hoppers, a charming and wonderfully animated film. Created by We Bare Bears’ Daniel Chong and written by Jesse Andrews (known for Luca and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Hoppers combines hilarious body-swapping with a positive message about getting along with others.

The story introduces Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Lila Liu) as a mischievous child freeing animals from her elementary school. We then see her as a 19-year-old environmental activist (Piper Curda) who becomes so focused on her work that she starts to struggle in college.

Mabel’s passion for nature comes from her grandmother, Karen Huie. Before she passed away, Karen taught Mabel to appreciate the world around her, and they often visited a special meadow nearby. This place was full of wildlife living peacefully together, especially a busy beaver colony, and Mabel grew to love it deeply.

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Beaverton’s mayor, Jerry (played with comedic brilliance by Jon Hamm), is determined to destroy the peaceful glade to make way for a new freeway. He claims this will shave just four minutes off people’s commutes, but his motivations seem more about ambition than convenience.

Mabel is the only one speaking out against the changes and becomes suspicious when she notices all the animals have left. This means the previously protected land is now open for developers to build on.

To halt the construction, Mabel needs to convince the beavers – crucial animals for a healthy environment – to come back. Her initial efforts to attract them don’t work, but she stumbles upon a surprising solution. She learns her biology professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), has been secretly experimenting with a way to inhabit robotic animals, allowing her and her team to closely observe and study wildlife.

Mabel transforms into a realistic robot beaver and quickly becomes friends with King George, a charming and popular beaver who rules the local wildlife. George explains how things work around the pond and agrees to gather other royal animal leaders – including the powerful Insect Queen and her pampered caterpillar son – to help save their home, a beautiful clearing in the woods.

Now that beavers are being reintroduced to the UK – highlighted in David Attenborough’s recent documentary, Wild London – it’s a great time for children to learn about these amazing animals and their impact on nature. And Pixar’s animated beavers are as charming and full of personality as you’d expect!

Mabel, the unique and thoughtfully created character in Curda’s story, is a compelling protagonist. She challenges the status quo and cares deeply about the environment, making her instantly engaging. Throughout the story, she also learns an important lesson about trusting others and believing in the good in people.

Hoppers tells a fairly involved but easy-to-follow story that keeps you interested without being confusing (though very young children might need some things explained). The stakes rise when humans are also in danger, but it remains exciting rather than scary, and things get wonderfully wild with the arrival of a top-level predator assassin.

Although the movie draws inspiration from science fiction and thriller films like Jaws, Avatar, and Back to the Future, it always stays true to its realistic and relatable central story.

Okay, so it might not be Pixar’s best movie ever, but honestly, I absolutely loved it! It’s such a warm, funny, and really entertaining film that I think the whole family will enjoy. What I especially appreciated was the positive message about getting along with nature and accepting everyone, regardless of their differences. It’s just a really feel-good movie – funny, sweet, and with a hopeful heart that’s exactly what I needed to see right now.

Authors

Emma Simmonds

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2026-03-02 20:44