Pixar Returns to Form With Freewheeling Adventure, 'Hoppers'

"Hoppers might be built with familiar parts, but Pixar's latest isn't trying to hide its various influences. Instead, this buoyant, freewheeling adventure about a spirited 19-year-old environmental activist who infiltrates the animal world in the body a robotic beaver wears its references for all to see. Sometimes it's with a wink; Sometimes it's more overt, like Kathy Najimy's flustered scientist shouting, 'This is nothing like Avatar!'"

"Najimy's Dr. Fairfax is a relatively minor character in the world of Hoppers, but she, and everyone else around Beaverton (both animal and human), are rendered with the kind of specificity, care and goofiness that make them memorable regardless of screen time. This is an especially good thing when the supporting voice cast includes people like Meryl Streep, Sam Richardson, Dave Franco, Ego Nwodim and Vanessa Bayer."

"Her gung-ho, apologize later attitude has some positive effects. It also gets her and her new friends in over their heads when she inadvertently incites a war. For a PG-rated Pixar movie, the stakes get rather, uh, real. It is worth remembering that time in Toy Story 3 where Woody and his pals seemed prepared for imminent incineration."

Hoppers is a Pixar film about Mabel Beaver, a spirited 19-year-old environmental activist who enters the animal world in a robotic beaver body. She befriends King George, an optimistic beaver who oversees a superdam for displaced wildlife. The film features a strong ensemble voice cast including Meryl Streep, Sam Richardson, and others who bring specificity and goofiness to their characters. Mabel's gung-ho attitude leads to positive effects but also inadvertently incites conflict among the animals. The film wears its various influences openly, balancing humor with surprisingly real stakes for a PG-rated movie, reminiscent of Pixar's willingness to explore darker themes in family entertainment.

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