Hoppers

Review:

The last few years have been something of a rollercoaster for Pixar. In between commercial successes such as Inside Out 2 and Toy Story 4, the animation giant has turned out more than a few flops: remember Onward or Elio? Whilst some of these arguably deserved to be panned, more than a few of their recent floundering efforts are much more appreciated than the numbers would suggest; Luca, for example, won the hearts of many teen and young adult viewers despite failing to achieve standout commercial success. From a creative perspective, the clear trend is grim. Franchise films which draw on pre-existing characters seem more and more to be surefire successes at the box office, while new stories are left in the dust, creating a cycle of sequels over originality. It’s somewhat surprising, then, that so far, Hoppers has been a pretty big hit. Directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong, it introduces an entirely new set of characters, focusing on a young girl who ‘hops’ her consciousness into the body of a robotic beaver in order to immerse herself in the animal world. (Sounding familiar? Don’t worry, the writers were self-aware enough to include a few Avatar jokes.) Despite novelty being something of a risk in modern animation, the critical response to Hoppers has been mostly incredibly positive so far. Many are calling it energetic, fun, and refreshingly wacky, with a clear message about protecting both the environment and the community. By pushing the boundaries of weirdness and crafting a story which is just as exciting for adult viewers as for children, Hoppers offers hope for an industry which may feel pretty creatively barren right now, and will hopefully encourage Pixar to return to the vibrant innovation which brought it its first fame.

Lily Sharp