Hoppers Movie

Hoppers Movie Opens This Friday, March 6!

Another amazing, animated movie from Disney/Pixar!

Hoppers starts out with exposition. We’re introduced to the main character as a child, then fast-forward to her on the brink of adulthood (she’s 19 and in college). We learn that Mabel is an animal lover, who feels disconnected from society as a whole and whose grandmother shows her the path to calmness through centering herself in nature, especially, a glade nearby that is vibrant and full of animal species sharing the glade with Mabel and her grandmother watching and watching over. It’s essentially the visualization of “touch grass.” When we catch up to modern-day Mabel, she is fighting to save the glade from the path of progress, which is trying to march right on over it. Progress is represented by Jerry (said in the most disrespectful tone you can imagine), who is the mayor of Beaverton, trying to get a bypass built over the glade to add Beaverton to the highway system. Mabel, ever the intrepid and adventuresome one, infiltrates the scientists who are studying the animals in the glade and the animals themselves to try to save the glade:

In Disney and Pixar’s all-new animated comedy adventure “Hoppers,” animal lover Mabel (voice of Piper Curda) seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries in the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver, King George (voice of Bobby Moynihan), and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human-threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo (voice of Jon Hamm). The all-star voice ensemble also features Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco and Meryl Streep. “Hoppers” is directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, with an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh. The film opens exclusively in theaters on March 6, 2026.

Hoppers is an interesting movie! There are many themes: conservation, memorialization, compromise, empathy, maturing, and more. Hoppers isn’t bogged down, though. The animation and story-telling teams did a great job weaving everything together to get the messages across without the viewing feeling preached at or weighed down with the heaviness of the subject matter. The ending is nothing like I expected, but still hopeful. The animation is gorgeous and every scene is just so well timed. It was a treat to watch and still gave us plenty to think about at the finish.
Speaking of the finish, stay through to the end. There are not one, but two easter eggs. And the final one is an incredible callback that made the audience burst out laughing. Stay!

Starring:
Piper Curda
Bobby Moynihan
Jon Hamm
Kathy Najimy
Dave Franco
Eduardo Franco
Aparna Nancherla
Tom Law
Sam Richardson
Melissa Villaseñor
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Steve Purcell
Ego Nwodim
Nichole Sakura
Meryl Streep
Karen Huie
Vanessa Bayer