When I first heard about “Hoppers,” I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Pixar has been inconsistent lately, so I wasn’t sure if this was going to be another hit or just something average.
After watching it though, “Hoppers” turned out to be a pretty fun and creative movie that shows Pixar can still come up with good original ideas. It mixes comedy, adventure and a message about protecting nature, while still feeling different from their usual movies.
The story follows Mabel, who cares strongly about animals and the environment. She gets involved with a new technology that lets humans “hop” their consciousness into robotic animals. She ends up going into a robotic beaver so she can actually talk to animals and see how they live.
Meanwhile, Mabel finds out that a construction project is about to destroy their habitat. From there, the movie turns into her trying to help the animals and stop everything before it’s too late. The plot may sound weird at first, but that’s what makes it interesting.
One of the most common remarks about the movie is how similar it is to “Avatar.” In both movies, humans are basically controlling another body to connect with a different species. In “Hoppers,” it’s animals instead of aliens, but the idea is pretty similar.
Some people have even called the movie “Avatar with animals.” Although this is not a completely false description, “Hoppers” feels different because it focuses more on humor and the relationships between the animals, instead of large-scale action scenes.
The humor is one of the best parts of “Hoppers.” Some Pixar movies are more emotional and serious, but this one leans more into being funny. The animals all have their own personalities, and a lot of their interactions are entertaining. There are also a few chaotic scenes where everything goes wrong that make the movie even more fun to watch. Even with all the jokes, the movie still has a real message about respecting nature and thinking about how humans affect the environment.
The movie is also doing pretty well in theaters right now. It made about $46 million in the U.S. and Canada during its opening weekend, which put it at number one. Worldwide, it made around $88 million, which is a strong start for a Pixar movie that isn’t part of an already existing IP. Some of Pixar’s recent movies haven’t done as well at the box office, so this feels like a step in the right direction.
A lot of people are saying this movie might be a comeback for Pixar. It’s also being talked about as the best opening for an original Pixar movie since “Coco” came out in 2017. On top of that, it currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it up there with some of Pixar’s better movies in recent years.
Overall, “Hoppers” is a solid movie. It’s funny, creative and has a message that actually matters. Even though it reminds people of “Avatar,” it still stands on its own because of its humor and focus on animals.
It’s not Pixar’s best movie, but it’s definitely one of their better recent ones. It proves that Pixar can still make good original movies when they try something new.
