King George is one of the furry friends in Pixar's new animated film Hoppers.Pixar/Supplied
Hoppers
Directed by Daniel Chong
Written by Jesse Andrews
Featuring the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm
Classification PG; 105 minutes
Opens in theatres March 6
Critic’s Pick
In the middle of watching Hoppers, Pixar’s new animated feature that takes a comedy-adventure approach to climate change, I found myself for a brief second thinking of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the scandal surrounding the province’s protected Greenbelt. Unaccustomed to having him pop in my head, it was a strange feeling. But as my focus zoomed back to the shenanigans unfolding onscreen, I marvelled at the movie’s ability to draw a line between animated fantasy and real-life politics.
Hoppers opens by introducing us to Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda), a feisty do-gooder with a penchant for rescuing animals. When she proves to be a handful, her mother drops her off at her grandmother’s home. Noticing Mabel’s frustrations, Grandma Tanaka (Karen Huie), shows her how nature can be a coping mechanism by taking her to a nearby glade. Slow down and breathe, she tells her young charge. Mabel grows up seeking refuge in the glade.
When Beaverton’s Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) plans to tear down a glade in order to build a highway, as part of his re-election campaign, Mabel, now a young adult, picks up yet another fight with the mayor.
The film follows animal lover Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda) and her attempt to save a nearby glade.Pixar/Supplied
In a bid to find a way to save the glade, she comes across a technology developed by her university’s biology professor Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), allowing her to switch bodies with a beaver. Using her newfound connection to the animal world, Mabel tries to inspire an animal revolution to save the glade. Can the animals come together to help Mabel in her fight? Or do humans get their way by bulldozing over nature? It’s a Pixar movie, so you know which way this will end. But there are more than a few side quests that populate the plot, adding merriment along the way.
Unlike other animated features set in the animal – and human – kingdoms, Hoppers isn’t primarily about rendering the beauty of the natural world through CGI. Although Beaverton is a sight to behold, highlighting the travesty of Mayor Jerry’s concrete plans, the movie takes a more playful approach to bring home its message. The original idea borrows from a true story about rewilding Yellowstone National Park, which partly hinged on bringing back beavers to build dams and ponds, and restore ecological balance. In order to save Beaverton, Mabel must convince her new animal friends to thwart Mayor Jerry’s plans by reclaiming the glade.
Review: Pixar’s Win or Lose could have been a home run, but strikes out when it matters most
Animated time-travel adventure Arco offers a hopeful vision of the future that Pixar can’t match
Those animals include King George (Bobby Moynihan), Ellen the bear (Melissa Villaseñor) and Tom Lizard (Tom Law), as well as a larger council that features a veritable menagerie of top tier talent. There’s Meryl Streep as the supercilious Insect Queen, as well as former Saturday Night Live cast members Ego Nwodim as a sassy Fish Queen and Vanessa Bayer as an apex predator with a sweet grin. With one antagonist in the human world, Mabel also has to deal with Titus (Dave Franco), a caterpillar with big plans of his own.
Although she’s been an animal-rights activist her whole life, Mabel is also an outsider in the animal kingdom at first, even in her beaver avatar. Before she gets buy-in from her new friends, she must learn the pond rules. Fortunately, King George is more than happy to clear his schedule and educate her. Rule No. 1: Don’t be a stranger. Rule No. 2: When you gotta eat, eat. Rule No. 3: We’re all in this together.
Mabel's university biology professor Dr. Sam (voiced by Kathy Najimy) and her colleague, Nisha (voiced by Aparna Nancherla) help Mabel switch bodies with a beaver.Pixar/Supplied
It may sound simple, but Mabel finds it hard to temper her proclivity to rabble-rouse. In her enthusiasm for her cause, she ends up betraying King George’s generous nature. The tables turn. Nature decides to fight back the humans at their own game. Mayhem could have ensued, but then Rule No. 3 kicks into action.
Like many of its Pixar predecessors, Hoppers manages to thread the needle between a charming story for a young audience and a considered take on the climate crisis that will also resonate for their adult caregivers. A small vignette with an ant, for example, is at once a throwback to Charlotte’s Web and a quick commentary on gender roles. There’s enough action going on to avoid dwelling on the absence of Mabel’s parents from the storyline, or wonder whether all of the animal kingdom is able to just understand each other.
Days after the press screening, watching Hamm wisecrack on late night TV shows as part of Hoppers’ publicity tour, I found myself wondering if Doug Ford could take a lesson from the smooth-talking Mayor Jerry, if not from the animal kingdom. Or do we need to channel our inner Mabels to preserve our greenbelts? I guess we’ll need to wait and watch until the next re-election.