‘Hoppers’ review: Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep lift Pixar’s run-of-the-mill film

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‘Hoppers’ review: Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep lift Pixar’s run-of-the-mill film

‘Hoppers’ trailer

Trailer for Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers” starring Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm and Meryl Streep. Directed by Daniel Chong.

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It’s hard to avoid the fact that Pixar has always been a show. The house behind “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo” hasn’t had a domestic debut since 2017’s “Coco,” so the Disney-owned studio is returning to tried-and-true franchise favorites like 2024’s “Inside Out 2” and the upcoming “Toy Story 5.”

That doesn’t mean Pixar should only stick to sequels because they’re safe box office hits. Pixar should take the creative risks that gave us our favorite characters like Woody, WALL-E and the Incredibles.

But Pixar is playing it very safe with its latest film “Hoppers.”

Dirty-haired 19-year-old animal lover Mabel (Piper Curda) is committed to preserving the glade in her late grandmother’s backyard outside of Beaverton — it was actually her dying wish — even though the wild animals have left it. Except that Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm) plans to build a belt that passes through that precious site. Like I said, Pixar is playing it safe with the “save the environment for greedy politicians” storyline.

He gets from his college professor Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) that only a keystone species like a beaver can restore the glade to its former glory. After failing to lure the beavers to the glade, Mabel discovers Dr. Sam where able to transport a human mind into a robotic animal to see wild animals, something he calls “hoppers.” If that also sounds familiar, that’s because it’s actually the plot of “Avatar,” which Mabel herself grudgingly admits.

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Mabel, a mischievous by nature, goes rogue and kidnaps a beaver robot and runs off into the wilderness to find more beavers. He soon discovers that he can understand all the animals around him and must adapt to the “laws of the lake.”

Beaver Mabel finally meets the real beaver George (Bobby Moynihan), the overjoyed king of mammals. He hopes to convince George and the entire Great Council of Animals, made up of the Bird King (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), the Fish Queen (Ego Nwodim), the Reptile Queens (Nichole Sakura), the Amphibian King (Steve Purcell) and the Insect Queen and her son (Meryl Streep and Dave Franco), to unite together to eliminate Mayor Jerry.

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The cast of critters is predictably as fun and lovable as any other Disney movie, but the standout character is actually Mayor Jerry. Despite the common plot, “Hoppers” avoids portraying the politician as evil. He is lovable, mischievous and seems to do what the citizens of Beaverton want without having malicious motives. And Hamm really blows us away with his performance.

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“Hoppers” marks the feature debut of director Daniel Chong, whose animation credits include “Cars 2,” “Inside Out,” “Bolt” and “The Lorax.” Screenwriter Jesse Andrew was previously credited for co-writing Pixar’s COVID-era release “Luca,” as well as penning 2015’s brilliant upcoming drama “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”

And a note for super fans: There are two post-credits scenes to check out.

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The decision

“Hoppers” will keep the kids entertained and has enough for parents to enjoy, but it doesn’t reach the beauty of the more popular Pixar films they’re known for, which “Hoppers” certainly doesn’t have. This beaver adventure can easily be saved for Disney+ watch later.