This review contains spoilers.
For decades, Pixar Animation Studios has invited audiences to see the world from unexpected perspectives, whether through the lives of toys, cars or even emotions. With its newest film, “Hoppers,” the studio poses a new question: What would happen if humans could literally “hop” into the bodies of animals to better understand the natural world?
With its energetic humor and adventurous storyline, “Hoppers” continues Pixar’s tradition of imaginative storytelling while exploring themes of environmental awareness and the complicated relationships between humans and wildlife.
The animated film follows Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a 19-year-old student from the fictional town of Beaverton, who has always bonded deeply with animals and nature. Since childhood, Mabel has retreated to the Beaverton glade with her grandmother (Karen Huie), finding peace among the ducks, deer, frogs and other species inhabiting the quiet preserve.
Mabel clashes with Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm), who plans to destroy the glade to build a massive beltway through the town. Determined to stop the project, Mabel fights to preserve the fragile ecosystem and the habitat it represents.
During her quest to restore the glade’s declining wildlife, Mabel focuses on the importance of beavers, describing them as a “keystone species” that plays a crucial role in shaping and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Mabel’s search eventually leads her to her biology professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), who has developed an experimental technology that transfers human consciousness into robotic animal bodies, allowing humans to blend into the animal world and communicate with wildlife directly.
Mabel spontaneously decides to test the technology herself, “hopping” into the body of a beaver. She becomes immersed in a society of animals led by a charismatic beaver named King George (Bobby Moynihan).
Through comedic moments, like the bizarre images of a “flying” shark, “Hoppers” balances playful humor with surprisingly emotional themes of loss, friendship and environmental destruction.
Mabel repeatedly asks a question that lies at the heart of this film: “Why doesn’t anyone else care?” Through her activism and passion for the natural world, Mabel demonstrates how the planet’s future is in the hands of younger generations.
While some themes might seem heavier — and even cause viewers to shed a tear or two — Pixar balances them with vibrant animation and comedic moments.
“Hoppers” offers an important lesson in how humans and the environment are directly connected. As King George reflects, “Animal homes. Human homes. They’re all just one big place.”
By placing its protagonist inside the natural world she hopes to protect, “Hoppers” encourages viewers to think more deeply about their impacts on the natural world. In doing so, Hoppers delivers not just entertainment, but a gentle reminder that protecting ecosystems begins with understanding the creatures that share them with us.
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