MOVIE OF THE WEEK (3/6/26): HOPPERS

"Do you think if our movie does well they'll make a bunch of sequels and toys and video games and ..." – Mabel (Piper Curda) dreams of saving the beloved glade where she – in human form – spent her youth with the help of Mammal King beaver George (Bobby Moynihan) in a scene from co-writer/director Daniel Chong's HOPPERS. © 2026 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

CAST: Piper Curda | Bobby Moynihan | Jon Hamm | Kathy Najimy | Dave Franco | Eduaro Franco | Karen Huie | Ego Nwodim | Meryl Streep | he late Isiah Whitlock Jr.

WRITER: Daniel Chong (story by) | Jesse Andrews (story by/screenplay)

DIRECTOR: Daniel Chong

TRAILER:

THE STORY: Mabel Tanaka is an angry, animal-loving child. That's why when she is able to spend time with her grandmother (Karen Huie) at the glade behind her home, she is able to find her peace. 

Fast-forward to the future and Mabel, now 19, is enrolled at Beaverton University, which is where she is a student in the class of Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy). She's having trouble focusing, however - not because her grandmother has passed, but because the glade is now in danger of being eliminated for a new beltway as planned by Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm). Mabel is extremely upset that her beloved glade may be going away, which is why she begins a petition to try and save it before it is demolished. 

Jerry tells Mabel there is one way she can save the glade if a beaver takes up habitat there, which is a problem since all the animals that once frequented the area have seemingly up and gone. Determined to save the glade, Mabel sets up bait to try and attract a beaver, which leads to her making a rather unique discovery: A lab run by Dr. Sam and her colleagues that allows them to transfer their minds into robot animals Avatar-style and communicate with them, a practice the good doctor calls "hopping."

So what happens when Mabel decides to take matters into her own hands – or should that be paws? – to try and save her beloved glade? There's only one way to find out.

THE REVIEW: At first glance, HOPPERS seems to check all the standard Pixar boxes: (1) a dead adult affecting the main character; (2) plenty of anthropomorphism via characters that exhibit the best and worse of their human counterparts and (3) a lesson that, while targeted at kids, is one that stems from adults not appreciating/losing track of something, in this case, the need to preserve and appreciate nature and wildlife. And, for the most part, that would be a pretty simple way to sum up the film.

The one thing that's a little different about HOPPERS, however, is the general serous tone that undercuts the film from start to finish. While there is one extended car chase sequence that's pure animated slapstick, the majority of the film feels like one more suited to the preteens/young adults encapsulated in Curda's vocal performance as Mabel. Mabel is frustrated with the world around her moving so fast and people not appreciating it; one scene in particular highlighting this mentality where she vocalizes her frustrations at not being able to accomplish anything. It's a common feeling many of us have, but it hits harder in this animated moment than most might expect, creating a moment where the character is speaking directly to any 12-19 year-old in attendance.

A more mature film that focuses on message more than it does humor or heartfelt moments, HOPPERS is another successful entry into the Pixar catalog, even though it may not be its most revered. 

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):