Film Review: HOPPERS (2026): The Magic of Disney/Pixar is Fully on Display in This Charming Animated Adventure

Hoppers Review

Hoppers (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Daniel Chong, written by Jesse Andrews and Daniel Chong and starring Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villasenor, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Steve Purcell, Ego Nwodim, Nichole Sakura, Meryl Streep, Karen Hule and Lila Liu.

Disney/Pixar’s new animated gem, Hoppers, brings the magic of the movies back. You know those old movies like E.T. The Extra Terrestrial that entertained you so much back then? Hoppers has those types of endearing charms and emotions that will tug at your heartstrings and keep audiences laughing out loud as well at certain key moments in the new picture. This film is essentially about a young girl named Mabel (Piper Curda’s voice) who tries to enlist a beaver to help save some land and keep it occupied by the animals who she admires so much.

Hoppers opens with the story of Mabel (voice of Lila Liu, early on) and her grandma, Tanaka (Karen Hule). Mabel takes a turtle, a snake and some other animals from her school and puts them in her bookbag to try to set them free. Mabel’s rebellious nature is thwarted by school employees, though. Mabel gets in trouble with her mother as a result. In Tanaka, however, Mabel starts to find peace and happiness in life by sitting and watching wildlife with her grandmother. These sequences are some of the most touching moments in a Pixar film to date and are reminiscent of the opening scenes of the movie, Up.

Director Daniel Chong builds the action of Hoppers slowly and the big plot reveal is that there are some researchers at Mabel’s college who are trying to contact animals by disguising themselves as them via technology straight out of the movie, Avatar, which the movie lovingly references. Mabel sees a beaver who is really a robot and follows it, only to find Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), as the head of the operation.

Soon, Mabel seizes the chance to become a beaver through this special method Dr. Sam has perfected and, shortly thereafter, befriends King George (Bobby Moynihan), a beaver who has the wisdom that animals truly listen to. King George and Mabel form a bond as Mabel tries to convince him of the local politician, Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm)’s attempts to do away with the wildlife that Mabel cherished watching with her grandmother who is, sadly, now deceased.

There are some biting scenes of hilarious humor. When Mabel tries to get beavers to come to the land, she plays soothing music loudly on YouTube to get their attention. Also funny are the scenes where the animals communicate with Mabel and seem OK with getting eaten because of the law of the land.

Mabel learns that Jerry has taken unfair measures to try to keep the wildlife out of the area he wishes to turn into a pathway for cars to cross. Hoppers then becomes an adventure film as Mabel (disguised as a beaver) gets the animals to turn on Jerry and a bad insect (Dave Franco) tries to take Jerry down and squish him as revenge for him trying to take their land. Mabel tries to get the bad guy to see reason, but he won’t so in order to save Jerry and the way of the beavers’ and other animals’ lives, Mabel teams with King George, a bear and other assorted animal heroes to save the day.

Mabel is beautifully voiced (complete with a very distinct personality) and animated in such a way that she becomes a terrific Disney heroine. It’s hilarious to see King George try to woo her until Mabel makes it clear they’ll just be friends and then George vows to make her a primary advisor to the animals. Little does he know that she’s a human disguised as a beaver.

Hoppers is magical to behold. As the plot unfolds, the premise is stuffed with humor and insights that will touch movie-goers. There’s a shark that goes flying in the air to try to eat Jerry and the film is quite creative as it makes some of its central scenes stand out so distinctly. There’s a great scene with beaver Mabel trying to speak human and using a cell phone to translate what she wants to say so that Jerry understands. Jerry is perfectly played by Jon Hamm whose charismatic voice work is first-rate.

There’s something wonderful about a movie that immerses viewers in a fictional world that feels so fresh and original. There is plenty of creativity on hand in Hoppers and even a character voiced by Meryl Streep in order to give the movie the distinguished feel of something great. Hoppers has some wonderful action scenes towards the end as a huge fire spreads which our animals need to put out and the crew must work together as a team for the common good. When Mabel loses her ability to communicate with King George, there’s an element of sadness, but the film manages its plot threads with precision, making the final result that much more enjoyable.

Hoppers is a purely immersive experience. It will captivate and entrance the viewer as it takes the audience inside the distinct world it creates. Disney/Pixar is at their best with this wonderfully imaginative new entry which will play for adults even better than it will with kids. Hoppers is the type of fun that I haven’t experienced at an animated film in a really long time. This is one for the record books and is a terrifically rendered tale of the need to preserve innocence and tranquility as opposed to destroying it for the hustle and bustle that so often shapes the modern world. You’ll love Hoppers.

Rating: 9.5/10

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