A serviceable animated film instead of an exceptional one, Disney’s “Hoppers” showcases ADHD-fueled humor and regurgitated themes reminiscent of “Despicable Me” rather than Pixar’s catalog of classics.
After breaking her arm and even protesting atop a dynamite-filled dam, college student Mable Tanaka [Piper Curda] continuously runs into road blocks while trying to save her favorite forest glade from the construction of a new highway. However, once she discovers a scientific invention that allows humans to transport their brains into robot animals, she realizes that infiltrating the forest’s ecosystem to recruit other mammals might be the only way to protect the glade.
Although the concept of “Hoppers” is another creative slam dunk for Pixar, its execution could have benefited from a bit more individuality. The film does sport a well-realized makeover for its furry friends that is both realistic and charming; a nice update that shows how far the studio has come with animated animals since “Toy Story.”
Still, many of its human characters – and a few of the animals – suffer from the “jelly bean” art style found in numerous recent animated films, where characters all have large, circular eyes with “jelly bean”-shaped mouths. While it can be charming in moderation, Pixar has always excelled at bringing to life a variety of different animation styles, and the studio’s over reliance on this look in its past few features is becoming somewhat tiresome.
Even with its animation stumbles, “Hoppers” still delivers stellar voice acting from the likes of Piper Curda, Dave Franco and Bobby Moynihan. Curda’s passionate, anger-tinted portrayal of Mable is as delightful as it is dangerous, giving viewers another Pixar protagonist who is far from perfect, but incredibly relatable. Moynihan’s turn as King George adds yet another wonderful sidekick addition to the Disney pantheon, alongside the likes of Dory, Timone/Pumba and more. His warm-center and charismatic personality is just the kind of character that a narrative like this needs. Yet it’s Franco’s Titus that stands out as the biggest surprise of the film. Franco’s portrayal of the villainous caterpillar-turned-butterfly is both hilarious and menacing, featured in a few sequences of the film’s final act that border on uncanny and horrifying.
In fact, it’s the third act as a whole that stands out as the best segment of “Hoppers.” Although much of the film’s humor doesn’t land — with it feeling rather random and slapped together than cleverly thought out — there are more than a handful of jokes in its final 30 minutes that somewhat make up its chaotic, breathless first half.
Whether it’s “The Incredibles,” “Soul,” “Monsters, Inc.” or “Inside Out,” Pixar has done a phenomenal job over its 40-years of weaving unique, heartfelt themes into each and every one of its projects.
However, the studio has finally seemed to have lost its thematic footing with “Hoopers,” recycling themes from past films and modern contemporaries rather than creating its own legacy. While its ideas of forest conservation are important and a staple of the genre, its execution doesn’t strike any unique cords, hitting the same notes as other films such as “WALL-E,” “Rio” and “Finding Nemo.” Nonetheless, there are a few key moments that did stand out in the film, even if it doesn’t make the beaver-led feature any more distinctive. Many films of this nature would have chosen the evil businessman to be the central villain, but “Hoopers” takes a far more realistic approach, allowing viewers to explore the idea that while humans might cause harm to the environment by accident, it doesn’t make them evil, simply uneducated. It’s a small portion of the film that could have easily been written out, yet it’s a detail by screenwriter Jesse Andrews that gives the film a bit more bite.
“Hoopers” is neither a genre-defining film nor one of Pixar’s best outings, but the animal-filled romp will still manage to entertain and educate families enough to make the trip to the movies feel warranted — even if its one-note humor and thin themes bring it down.
The new animated film was released March 6 and is in theaters now.
Carrie • Mar 17, 2026 at 8:49 am
You said “Hoopers” instead of “Hoppers” multiple times. You also imply Pixar has been making movies for 40 years when it’s much closer to 30. I personally disagree that the humor doesn’t land, but I recognize that that is a matter of personal preference. The humans being uneducated is a major facet of the plot, not a “small portion that could have been written out,” it is also the “unique cord” that you claim Hoppers lacks. In short, this review would’ve been much better if you eximplified your claims, were factually correct, provided alternative creative decisions that would’ve made the movie better, or at least spelled the title correctly.