Spring is here and to mark the occasion there is a new Pixar film out at cinemas: Hoppers. The film combines Pixar's iconic style, with comedy and the cutest animated Beavers you have ever seen. Recently original Pixar films have struggled at the box office, in fact even the franchise films have received lacklustre reviews. So, the question is, has the Pixar formula become stale? has it evolved too much? or have audiences changed? Well, I certainly hope Hoppers is a Box Office success because it is brilliantly Pixar and the most fun I have had at the cinema in a while.
The film has a mild Science Fiction plot, reminiscent of the Avatar franchise, yet feeling completely original. Hoppers is self aware, joking at its similarity to Avatar as it poses the question, what would happen if a human's consciousness was transported into an animal. It's a brilliant concept that translates well on screen. The build up to the Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) becoming a beaver is slow but forms important groundwork that pays off as the film plays out. Once Mabel has traded her human body for that of a very convincing robot beaver, we are transported to what makes Pixar so iconic, leaving human stories behind, for the animal world. Mabel has one mission - stopping mayor Jerry (voiced by Jon Hamm) from destroying a part of woodland named The Glade. In order to do this Mabel needs to convince the animals of the forest and their King George (Voiced by Bobby Moynihan) to help reclaim the land.
Mabel is an activist fighting to save a place that was special to her and her Grandmother (voiced by Karen Huie). But she is also fighting to preserve it for the animals, as the natural world gets smaller and smaller and the human built world gets larger. The message is clear, humans are not living harmoniously with the world around, instead we are expanding at an unsustainable rate. Hoppers offers audiences a stark and clear warning about humanity. Yet this massage is wrapped with humour. Endless jokes, that are so natural they produce authentic reactions. There is an unpredictability to the film, keeping audiences on their toes, never quite sure what is going to happen next. There is one scene in particular that shocked me more than any film has in a long while. Hoppers is everything we love about Pixar, creative, funny and above all meaningful.
Overall, Hoppers will charm audiences with its originally, meaningful moments and endless giggles. Hoppers is pure Pixar magic, that is reminiscent of the studios early years in its originality. It is perhaps a little scarier than the U age certification indicates, which might pose an issue for the youngest viewers. But for Pixar fans of all ages, there is no doubt in my mind that Hoppers will charm with is fanatic animation, easter eggs and meaningful message.
5 stars.
Thank you for reading x
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