0
There are films that arrive with a whisper, and then there’s Hoppers, a Pixar original that lands with the irresistible momentum of something both familiar and startlingly new.
Directed by Daniel Chong and penned by Jesse Andrews, it’s a movie that sparks curiosity long before the credits roll, and delivers on that promise in full technicolour.
At its heart Hoppers is a story about perspective. College student Mabel, an animal lover with fierce determination, finds herself hopping her consciousness into the body of a robotic beaver in a bid to save a woodland glade and its creatures from encroaching development. One which she holds dear after finding a place of peace and sanctuary with her Grandma. Who has now passed. So the stakes are high!
That high‑concept premise might sound whimsical, but in practice it yields some of the freshest humour and emotional beats Pixar has offered in years. The visual invention is classic Pixar; richly detailed character animation, expressive digital landscapes and an almost tactile sense of environment that makes Beaverton and its animal community feel unquestionably alive.
The voice cast, led by Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm, injects personality into every corner of the narrative, while Mark Mothersbaugh’s score propels the action with playful urgency and genuine warmth.
From the moment the robotic beaver wobbles into action to the cleverly choreographed convergence of the animal council, there’s a tactile joy in how this world is realised – a blend of spirited comedy and finely tuned emotional resonance that has critics hailing Hoppers as perhaps the best‑reviewed Pixar original in years.
Yes, the concept is abstract – Pixar meets Avatar meets talking wildlife – but that’s precisely where its charm lies.
There’s humour, there’s chaos and there’s enough spectacle to satisfy both young audiences and adults yearning for storycraft that doesn’t talk down to its viewers. Some sequences dig into surprisingly thoughtful territory, exploring what it means to truly understand another being, while others simply delight with audacious inventiveness.
Hoppers feels like a return to form – a reminder of why we once flocked to Pixar’s earliest tales of wonder. This Easter break, treat yourself to something colourful, surprising and unashamedly joyful.
Catch Hoppers on the big screen at Odeon Liverpool ONEOdeon Liverpool ONE. See showtimes and book tickets.