Hoppers tells the story of Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), an angry girl who finds solace in nature with her grandmother (Karen Huie) in her happy place in the glade. However, after the death of her grandmother, the wildlife mysteriously flees the area, giving the city’s mayor reason to build a speedway through it. This devastates Mabel and she becomes an activist to prevent the completion of the speedway. Through a stroke of luck, she discovers that her biology professor, Dr. Samantha “Sam” Fairfax (Kathy Najimy), has invented a way for humans to inhabit the body of a robotic animal to infiltrate and communicate with the animal kingdom. With her brain in a beaver robot, Mabel goes undercover to convince the animals to move back to the glade before it’s destroyed for good.
Hoppers is packed with fun, brimming with gags and funny moments that will make audiences chuckle. From the animals replicating the horrendous sound of a radio tower to the animal leaders wearing miniature crowns, there is a lot of fun to be had. The best parts are when Mabel is disguised as a beaver and we get to all of the animal antics. Thankfully, the filmmakers lean into this and Mabel isn’t constantly switching back from her beaver and human form, which lends to a more cohesive narrative.
Mabel is a bit loner as we never see her with any human friends. This can be relatable to many who feel misunderstood and unable to connect (or, on the flip side, who simply enjoy their solitude). She has a kinship with the king of the beavers, King George (Bobby Moynihan), and must learn to work with him to convince the other animal leaders to return to the glade.
There’s a lot of great characters and all of them are not named Mabel. Mabel is fine, but pretty boring and bland. King George is hilarious, the sloth beaver Loaf is a hoot (Eduardo Franco), and Tom Lizard (Tom Law) steals the show any time he’s on screen. The butterfly monarchs—Insect Queen (Meryl Streep) and her son Titus (Dave Franco)—are surprisingly fearsome, formidable foes.
Without spoiling it, the highlight of the film is in the final act when things go awry with some of the other animals. Another robot enters the mix and it’s deliciously uncanny and frightening. Pixar enters full-on horror territory and while it’s novel to watch, it may be way too scary for younger children. There’s also another shocking moment that had everyone’s jaws on the floor and people will talk about for a long time.
Hoppers is 1990s environmentalism meets 2020s activism. However, the film isn’t particularly heavy-handed with the message, so you’re not sitting there eye-rolling the whole time. That being said, the messages of the film—”there’s a hierarchy in the animal kingdom and that’s ok” and “we are all equal”—are at odds and the filmmakers are never able to fully square that circle.
Hoppers is a fun, wacky romp in the swamp. While it lacks real depth, it delivers a surprising number of genuinely funny and memorable moments that make it an enjoyable time.
Hoppers hits theaters on March 6, 2026.
★★½
