‘Hoppers’: A Hilarious Thrill Ride

For a long time, Pixar has dominated the industry of animated filmmaking. They have created an empire of classics which has influenced a generation of people and has paved the way for great developments in animation. Recently, with the rise of other studios such as Sony Picture Animation pushing their brand of animation which has gone on to heavily influence the animated filmmaking of this decade, Pixar looked to be falling behind with their safe brand of 3D animation that caters to a wide audience. Hoppers looked to be yet another safe and standard Pixar fair, but it has managed to subvert those expectations, becoming one of their best original films in quite some time.

Released on Friday, March 6, 2026, Hoppers is an animated Sci-fi comedy film directed by Daniel Chong with a screenplay by Jesse Andrews. The story follows animal lover Mabel, played by Piper Curda, who resides in Beaverton. She is in direct opposition to the town’s Mayor Jerry, played by Jon Hamm, who is forcing animals out of their habitat to build a freeway. To stop him, Mabel uses technology known as Hoppers, where she places her mind in control of a robotic beaver, which she uses to try and encourage the animals to fight back, leading to many unintended consequences.

The film is brisk and efficient with its pace, clocking in at 100 minutes in runtime. Where most Pixar films strive for a balance of comedy and drama, this film clearly leans into its comedic edge and utterly insane premise. Though the foundations of the narrative are certainly cliched, with an environmentalist opposing the greedy humans, the plot takes several twists that subvert expectations. Antagonists become protagonists and vice versa with the film’s message going beyond just the generic ‘save the animals and environment’ talking point and instead opting for a stronger, more universal message about coexistence, compassion and understanding. While it isn’t particularly nuanced, it did not have to be as the comedy takes priority and anything truly serious akin to previous Pixar films would have diluted the story’s irreverent tone and style. It’s refreshing to have a film about animals, and the environment not simply resort to buying the audience’s sympathy with cute animals. The filmmakers instead develop the characters and their world thoroughly, earning the viewer’s sympathy through strong writing.

There are definitely a few shortcomings plot and script wise, with the film’s short runtime leading to certain developments such as the antagonist’s redemption feeling rushed and the ultimate villain’s demise taking the form of a sudden psychopathic turn which his allies overhear, resulting in them exacting vengeance. But these are easy to ignore given the film’s commitment to comedy over drama, which it delivers in spades.

The film’s humour and creativity are excellent. From visual gags to slapstick to witty dialogue, the film has it all. Jesse Andrews’ screenplay really shines from scene to scene, effectively establishing characters in the first act before diving into some insane comedic hijinks that develop the world of the animals. The film doesn’t feel the need to bombard the viewer with exposition, trusting its audience to pick up the pieces and understand the concepts. The simple premise is pushed to its absolute limit, especially by the final act which delivers both the comedic gags and surprisingly unsettling moments involving the antagonist, all of which make the otherwise simple villain memorable and frightening.

This is all aided by the film’s animation. Pixar have often been accused with being unable to break from their signature 3D style that has begun to look stale in comparison to their contemporaries’ work. This film proves that Pixar still does that style better than anyone else, balancing realism and exaggerated movements to excellent effect. The characters are all full of expression, each moving fluidly and uniquely to one another. The film knows when to push the models to their cartoonish limit and when to pull back and let the performances do the talking. For a film about the environment, the setting itself looks gorgeous with some remarkable fluid animation for water and mud to a point where it feels like Pixar is showing off its mastery of liquid simulations. It’s important that the environment looks beautiful and detailed to allow the audience to truly be attached to it. While not reaching the sheer artistic heights of something like Across the Spider-Verse or even Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Hoppers’ animation proves that Pixar is willing to alter their style to suit the story. So many visual gags work so well because of the style, with a few in the final act being absolutely hilarious.

Further aiding the film is its cast. Piper Curda does an excellent job as Mabel Tanaka. She matches the film’s comedic energy flawlessly and makes for a thrilling protagonist. While she means well, the film highlights her naivety and lack of understanding of how the world truly works. Her defence of the environment appears to be superficial, only as a means to further her feud with Jerry, but her attachment goes deeper with her relationship with her late grandmother. But her growth in coming to truly respect the environment and understand the importance of coexistence is refreshing and though the film does not try to have tear-jerking emotional moments as other Pixar films do, Curda still knows when to let the emotions take centre stage in her performance. She is still the film’s emotional core and her arc of overcoming her perceived helplessness in the face of destruction and wrongdoing is one that will resonate with a lot of viewers.

But the comedic standout is Jon Hamm as Jerry, the film’s best comedic character. While a bit of a basic antagonist in the film’s first half, he becomes a delightful protagonist in the second half. Hamm brings so much energy and life to the character, perfectly nailing every comedic moment. Another standout is Bobby Moynihan as King George, the beaver king. Though he takes a backseat in the film’s climax, he nonetheless is the comedic draw for most of the second act. He makes the obligatory world-building fun to experience despite being fairly self-explanatory.

Overall, Hoppers is an absolute blast of a time. Where other Pixar films became classics due to their timeless and mature takes on subject matter with strong emotional beats, Hoppers will become a classic due to its irreverent humour which makes it unique among Pixar’s vast catalogue. It never forces jokes or emotion, allowing them to build naturally and while the narrative might be built on cliches, there’s enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing. It might just be one the best Pixar films of the decade.