Hoppers
Directed by Daniel Chong · Piper Curda, Jon Hamm, Bobby Moynihan
Animated Adventure Comedy · 2026-03-06
“Pixar remembered it can build a wild original idea instead of resurrecting a franchise, and the result actually lands.”
Hoppers has a premise that sounds like a fever dream pitched at 2am, scientists figure out how to hop a human consciousness into a lifelike robot animal, so an animal loving kid named Mabel beams herself into a beaver to finally talk to nature on its own terms. It is ridiculous. It is also, against the odds, one of Pixar's most genuinely original swings in over a decade, and it mostly connects.
Director Daniel Chong gives it real energy, the animation is gorgeous, and the voice cast led by Piper Curda as Mabel and Jon Hamm doing exactly what Jon Hamm does keeps it lively. It opened in theaters back on March 6, crossed north of 370 million dollars worldwide, and has since landed on Disney Plus, which is a strong run for a movie with no number after its name and no built in toy aisle.
The honest knock, and even the kind reviews land on it, is that Hoppers has charm, clever ideas and a good heart but lacks the deeper emotional gut punch of vintage Pixar. It is funny and inventive and a little weightless. That is still a far better problem to have than the studio's recent habit of mining sequels, and a wholly original idea that merely lands well is more than most blockbusters even attempt.
- 01
A wholly original premise at a time when Pixar leaned hard on sequels and familiar names.
- 02
Gorgeous animation and a high energy pace that keeps younger viewers locked in.
- 03
A loaded voice cast led by Piper Curda and Jon Hamm that keeps the comedy sharp.
- 04
Strong box office and a healthy Disney Plus afterlife for a brand new property.
- 01
It lacks the deeper emotional spark that made the classic Pixar films stick with you.
- 02
The wild concept occasionally outruns the story trying to hold it together.
- 03
It is funny and inventive but a touch weightless when it reaches for real feeling.
- 04
Charm carries it further than substance, so it entertains more than it lingers.
Families who want a clever, funny, original animated adventure and a break from the endless parade of sequels.
Viewers chasing the tearjerker Pixar of old who will feel the missing emotional gut punch.
Disney had the hard job of selling a brand new idea with no nostalgia to lean on, and to its credit the marketing trusted the weird premise instead of hiding it. The brain swapping beaver hook is genuinely funny in a trailer, and for once a Pixar campaign sold the movie's imagination rather than a familiar logo.
Your website, CV, or whatever you made. I'll roast that too.
A full teardown from €2,99. No mercy.