Pixar has had a troubled time over the past few years. Where they were once the masters of pitch-perfect animations, with hit after hit, they have fallen to the side. Not saying the quality hasn’t been there, but the storytelling has been lacking. Movies like Elemental and Elio just haven’t connected with audiences, and so they have turned to sequels, including the forthcoming Toy Story 5. Thankfully, Hoppers, the new entry in their vast catalogue, gets them back on track with a funny tale that may not be the most original, but has so much going for it, including a tale about the destruction of nature.

Mabel is obsessed with animals. Troubled at school, she spends her time with her gran at a lake where animals from all over gather. When her gran passes, and a local mayor wants to win votes by building a huge freeway across the lake, Mabel needs to find a way to stop it. Discovering technology at her University that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver, Mabel heads out to beat the Mayor and keep the natural beauty.

This is a call to arms about the destruction of the environment by big corporations, but while that message is there, this is a sparkling, upbeat tale with plenty for everyone, and it takes you back to old-school Pixar, where there is plenty for adults and children alike. All with the usual high-quality animation that has made the studio so famous, and introducing us to some really fun characters.

Mabel’s adventures as a beaver are helped by her ability to hear the animals’ conversations and by finding a hierarchy within the forest, with each type of creature having its own leader who makes decisions for the rest of the life-forms. Mabel can communicate with bears, deer, and birds, and tries to persuade them to return to the lake, particularly King George, a beaver, to stop the building as part of environmental law.

The film is brimming with smart humour and plenty of peril to keep the audience’s attention throughout. Having talking animals isn’t new in animation, but the characters here are so well-defined and rounded. You could take any one of them from the film and spin it off, and it would work (although I’m not suggesting Pixar do this). There’s also commentary on artificial intelligence, but at its heart, it’s about how we, as humans, are destroying the land that helps nature thrive, without ever being preachy.

To help with the maing a good Pixar movie, you need the right vocal talent and apart from the likes of Jon Hamm as the mayor, Dave Franco as the insect king and Maryl Street as the Inscet Queen, the use of mainly unknowns works because you don’t spend your time trying to guess who the voice is. Piper Curda is a perfectly voiced Mabel with plenty of sass and passion, and former Saturday Night Live alumnus Bobby Moynihan really brings King George to life.

Hoppers is a massive return to form for Pixar. It had me laughing out loud, and the adventures of this mechanical beaver trying to bring nature together will keep the young and the young at heart very happy. This is the level of entertainment that the animation company was famous for, and it’s good to have them back.

4 out of 5

Director: Daniel Chong

Starring: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Majimy, Dave Franco, Meryl Streep, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Tom Law, Sam Richardson

Written by: (also story) Jesse Andrews and (story) Daniel Chong

Running Time: 105 mins

Cert: U

Release date: 6th March 2026