Audiences are about to take a trip into the minds of the animals when Pixar’s Hoppers hits the 2026 movie calendar. The premise of the upcoming kids movie puts 19-year-old Mabel’s mind inside a robotic beaver in order to communicate with other animals and save their habitat. Critics have screened the movie ahead of its March 6 release, and fans should get excited, because they’re calling it the "best" Pixar offering in years.
Piper Curda is the voice of Mabel Tanaka, and she’s joined by an ensemble cast of recognizable voices, including Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry, Kathy Najimy, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep as Insect Queen to name just a few.
‘Best New Release In A Solid Decade’
Wilson Chapman of IndieWire gives the movie a B+, writing that it’s the “freshest” Pixar product since Turning Red and “the best new release in a solid decade.” It comes at a time when Pixar has lost a bit of its luster. Elio and Elemental felt constrained and formulaic, the critic says, and didn’t take risks, but Hoppers doesn’t have that problem. Chapman says:
The dimming prestige of the brand perhaps allowed Hoppers the freedom to be something much more modest, and also way more fun and satisfying — a hilarious, joke-a-second comedy that has its moments of sweetness and emotional resonance, but isn’t looking to force tears out of you.
This isn't the only critic who thinks there are some unique things happening here.
‘Pixar At Its Best’
Nell Minow of RogerEbert rates Hoppers 4 out of 4, writing that the artists show us the beauty of the natural world through the characters’ eyes and provide a fabulously tactile sense of the plant and water textures. As gorgeous as the animation is, the message of empathy for others is the heart of the film. Minow says:
Hoppers is Pixar at its best, a story with warmth, humor, exciting action, endearing characters, and a reassuringly expansive notion of community. It has charm and a touch of magic, but it is grounded—literally.
Lots of critics are making big statements about Hoppers, including:
‘One Of Its Best In Recent Years, And Quite Possibly Its Best This Decade’
Gregory Nussen of ScreenRant rates the upcoming Pixar movie 7 out of 10 saying that if we’re measuring pure fun and humor, Hoppers delivers one of Pixar’s “best in recent years, and quite possibly its best this decade.” Nussen calls the movie “bizarre” and “unhinged by children’s film standards,” resembling Avatar or even the Game of Thrones universe more than the animal kingdom. The critic continues::
Daniel Chong's film isn't perfect, but it reaches such a strange fever pitch of hilarity and political prescience that it demands respect. The world-building here is bananas and exciting, with feverishly funny voice performances from the likes of Meryl Streep, Aparna Nancherla, Sam Richardson and more. If this is the new direction Pixar can be expected to take moving forward, it's a welcome return to a time of yore, when kids were trusted to pick up on important themes - all while laughing their heads off.
The plot resemblance to Avatar is brought up by a lot of critics and even addressed in the Hoppers.
‘A Film You Can Very Easily Imagine Ranking Among The Absolute Best Pixar Movies Ever’
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo has a lot of words to describe Hoppers, which he says may very easily rank among the best of the animated offerings from Pixar. It’s highly unpredictable, flat-out shocking, not afraid to take risks, dark and scary at times, with predictably stunning animation. However, Lussier writes …
First and foremost, Hoppers is hilarious. It’s wildly smart and finds jokes in every situation imaginable. These range from very basic stuff everyone in the family can enjoy to some deeper cuts only adults in the audience will enjoy. There’s rarely a moment in Hoppers when you aren’t laughing. That is, unless you are crying. Because the movie is also incredibly emotional.
Better pack the tissues! (Not that I'd ever leave home without them when headed for a Pixar movie.)
‘The Best Pixar Movie Since Coco’
William Bibbiani of The Wrap continues the superlatives by saying this movie is “dam good” and, in fact, is “the best Pixar movie since Coco.” It’s funny, clever, kind, playfully dark and wonderfully weird, the critic says, writing:
What’s more, Hoppers concocts wild new ways to break its story open, utilizing its sci-fi technology in novel ways and taking advantage of its cartoony style to get weird with the plot points. By the time there’s a car chase with a giant shark — it makes sense in context, I swear — you’ll be smiling ear-to-ear. It’s smart, it’s wacky, it’s morally complex, and we need more films like it.
These aren’t the only critics singing the praises of Hoppers. The animated flick holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer as of this writing. Some of the critics warn that it’s not a perfect movie and that it has moments that are pretty shocking or dark for younger audience members. However, if this sounds like one you need to check out, you can head to theaters starting Friday, March 6.
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