Nate At The Movies

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Like many of Pixar’s recent releases, my expectations for Hoppers were tempered when it was first announced, but once the first trailer came out, I found myself hopeful in the project. Even with the similarities to Avatar (that they had no problem pointing out themselves), I was crossing my fingers. Then the positive reviews started rolling in, and I got excited. Could Pixar have another original IP hit on their hands, in the year of a Toy Story release, no less? The answer—thank God—is yes!

Hoppers was a tale of two halves, and I don’t mean in the “bad-then-good” sort of way. The first 45 minutes played like a conventional, cute Pixar story—similar to a Luca or Turning Red—with fun characters and a solid premise to back them up. If the film had continued on that trajectory, I would have maybe been a little disappointed, but thank goodness it didn’t. The second half was batshit crazy in the best way, expanding the world and story far beyond the confines of its Avatar premise in some really creative ways. I don’t find myself surprised by what’s happening in a Pixar movie all that often these days, but I couldn’t have predicted most of the twists and turns this movie took. I was gobsmacked and absolutely delighted by the ballsy narrative swings, because most of them really worked.

The movie was also one of Pixar’s funniest ever, and just like the story, the back nine far outclassed the front nine. Each species had their moments of hilarity, though most of them came from the insects and Tom, who’s been on my Instagram feed for the better part of a year. The cast gave it their all in these performances, and I really liked Piper Curda (another Disney Channel alum killing it in 2026), Bobby Moynihan, and Dave Franco in their roles. Because there were so many jokes, I can’t pinpoint all of my favorites right now, but I want to point out the expert comedic stroke of draining the life out of the animals’ eyes whenever they were interacting with someone who didn’t understand them. It worked on me every time.

Amidst all the humor and the crazy, Hoppers still made time to get an important and unexpectedly multi-layered environmental message out to its audience. It sure made me feel bad as a human to watch the animals lose one home and give up another to help the humans, who had done nothing but destroy and discard them. As Morgan and I walked up to our apartment, I told every bug I saw that we were all in this together; I’m just trying to do my part. Hoppers was a surprising hit, working well within the Pixar formula while flexing its share of unique muscles. From the comedy to the third act twists and no regard for normalcy, Hoppers was just the jolt of life that Pixar has needed, and I can’t wait to see what original projects they have on deck. I’ve heard Domee Shi’s directing a musical? Sign me up!