Remember when there was a time when Pixar could do no wrong? Pixar movies felt like an event. The company gave us some of the greatest animated films of all time. Movies like Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo left such an impression on audiences due to their creative ideas and fun animation. Yeah, that was a thing. Something down the line changed, though. People were saying Pixar had lost its magic, precisely following COVID. Movies were released straight to streaming, and while good, they weren’t being talked about in the same light as former Pixar classics. Movies such as Lightyear and Elio did not leave a great impression on audiences, and the box office suffered. Why? Honestly, I’m not sure. Pixar was putting out such original, excellent stories for years that even if a movie is just okay, it doesn’t feel good enough. Maybe when you get too much good, eventually standards become too high. Who knows? When it comes to Pixar’s newest film, Hoppers, however, I can say that this is one of Pixar’s better recent movies for sure.
The Story
When scientists discover a way to transfer human consciousness into robotic animals, Mabel uses the new technology to uncover mysteries of the animal world that are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
What sets this movie apart from other recent Pixar movies is its ability to blend its humor with its original storytelling. Movies such as Lightyear, Elemental, and Elio were said to play it too safe and be too generic. Hoppers is the funniest Pixar movie in a long time, with plenty of jokes for both children and adults. We have seen this story and message before; the whole idea of “we need to protect nature and the environment” isn’t anything new. This movie even makes a joke of how it is just like James Cameron’s Avatar. It really isn’t though, and that is what was most surprising.
The first half of the movie is good. We are introduced to our main character, Mabel, a young girl who is taught at an early age to respect the wildlife around her and to fight for what she wants. She is a great lead, and we get who she is right away. During the second half of this movie is where things really pick up. Every time I thought I knew where this movie was going, it went in a different direction, and the number of times my mouth dropped in shock about what I was seeing was plenty. The movie is crazy in the best original way possible.
Performances and Animation
There are truly some great performances in this, such as Piper Curda as Mabel, Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry, and the amazing Meryl Streep as the Insect Queen. The standout, though, for sure is Bobby Moynihan as King George. He is honestly one of the most likable characters in a Pixar movie in a long time. He is funny, charming, and you like his character almost immediately.
The animation in this is also very good. It takes its time in certain scenes and switches to more manic movement in others. It keeps the movie entertaining and interesting from beginning to end. The movie also doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It has plenty of mature themes that it handles head-on. The movie doesn’t play it safe, which is refreshing and leaves us with a memorable experience.
Overall
Hoppers is easily the most well-rounded entertaining original movie from Pixar since Coco came out in 2017. It has charming characters, an engaging story, and it is the funniest Pixar movie in a long time. This is a movie that, once it ended, I couldn’t wait to rewatch it to see if I missed anything. It’s just a good time overall, and if you are a Pixar fan, you will be pleased to know they seem to finally be heading in the right direction.
