A Fun and Cute Animated Tale With Lessons to Learn
In the original Avatar movie, human beings are "transported" into the bodies of Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, to explore the world of Pandora. In the Hoppers movie, Mabel's (Piper Curda; May December) college professor, Dr. "Sam" Samantha Fairfax (Kathy Najimy; Hocus Pocus), and her colleagues have created technology that allows them to "hop" into animatronic bodies of animals to more closely study the animals. If these movies sound similar, it is because they are. So much so that Mabel even makes a joke about Avatar when she learns what Dr. Sam has been up to. All of this comes to light on March 6th when Hoppers hits theaters nationwide.
As a little girl, Mabel (young Mabel is voiced by newcomer Lila Liu) would spend time with her grandmother at the local forest glade. There they would sit peacefully listening to nature all around them, while Mabel's grandmother would try to teach Mabel to calm her mind. Years later, the animals have abandoned the glade, and Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm; Mad Men) wants to bulldoze the area to put in a super highway. Now 19, Mabel is against the destruction of her childhood. Learning from Dr. Sam that only one beaver needs to return to the glade to restore the natural balance, Mabel decides to hop into a beaver body to convince the animals to return. Along the way, she encounters a few "hiccups" and starts an all-out natural revolution.
While this concept is not new or earth-shattering, the result of this animated tale is fun and cute while being ever so slightly educational. Among other ideas in nature, the audience learns that beavers are a "keystone species" (look it up, kids) and high-pitched sounds, undetectable to the human eye, can drive animals away from their homes. We also learned "pond rules" (not a real thing, though, so don't look that one up, kids) and about greed and corruption in politics.
Curda is terrific as Mabel, the activist whose motives, when looked at under a microscope, may not be completely altruistic. Joining her is Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as King George, the beaver in charge of the "super lodge" and who desperately wants to keep peace amongst the woodland creatures. Hamm perfectly plays the sleazy, handshaking, baby-kissing mayor, but this is a role we have seen him embody before, so it isn't completely a stretch. Unfortunately, Najimy's Dr. Sam comes across as almost ditzy, which is a waste of her talents. Cameos from Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) and Dave Franco (Now You See Me 2) are short but enjoyable as they play evil insects.
The animation is well done, but I would expect no less from a Disney/Pixar Production. Fur on the animals show wonderful movement, and the flow of water, whether peaceful or violent, is beautifully detailed. The colors run the spectrum and look rich and full throughout the film.
As with almost any animated feature, there is at least one lesson to be learned, if not multiple ones, and Hoppers is no exception. Between Mabel needing to learn to accept others' ideas and King George needing to learn that "keeping the peace" isn't always the right course of action, there are numerous takeaways from Hoppers. Of course, we can't forget the conservation angle or the "shifty" politicians' motifs involved.
Regardless of ones beliefs between progress and conservation, a the end of the day Hoppers is a movie for kids and without much to challenge it at the box office in the next month, it is sure to make money, be a crowd pleaser and have every 5 year old begging for a pet beaver (not a good idea to try to domesticate them).
Grade: B
