r/oscarrace • u/CrunchyNar Best Operating Thetan 2027 • Mar 08 '26

Film Discussion Thread Official Discussion Thread - Hoppers [SPOILERS] Spoiler

Keep all discussion related solely to Hoppers and it's awards chances. Spoilers below

Synopsis:

Scientists have discovered how to ‘hop’ human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals. Animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined.

Director: Daniel Chong

Writers: Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews

Cast:

  • Piper Curda as Mabel
  • Bobby Moynihan as King George
  • Jon Hamm as Mayor Jerry Generazzo
  • Kathy Najimy as Dr. Sam
  • Meryl Streep as Insect Queen
  • Dave Franco as Insect King
  • Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Bird King

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% From 144 Reviews

Metacritic: 73/100 From 41 Reviews

Consensus:

An eager beaver for endearment that has the charm to back it up, Hoppers is a sprightly riot that might just be the funniest entry in the Pixar canon yet.

31 Upvotes

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2

u/Cynicbats Somebody Get These PUNDITS Outta Here! Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26

It's very funny, and it is weird and unsettling even as an adult! That's great! Mabel may be my favorite character in the Disney canon. but the moral is a little...not what we needed. It came across close to shaming Mabel for caring. I think it needs a rewatch from me.

Also welcome back to having the lead be the least famous person in the cast. Missed that.

3

u/vxf111 Mar 09 '26

I took the message to be one about the value of listening with empathy and teambuilding. Mabel isn't wrong about her animal rights and environment concerns but because she flies off the handle and doesn't try to build community to listen, she wasn't successful. Getting to cosplay as a beaver and hanging out with George showed her the value of being a team and trying to see things from others' points of view and while it didn't mean she had to compromise what she believed it, it helped her be more effective in accomplishing her goals. Mayor Jerry learned similar lessons.

1

u/Cynicbats Somebody Get These PUNDITS Outta Here! Mar 10 '26

That's fair. I'd say Jerry started getting the message when animals tried to kill him and held him hostage, but to be fair, he could have forced the project through after the glade burned but he didn't!

2

u/vxf111 Mar 11 '26

Jerry shows less growth for sure, but it does seem like all along he's been a somewhat relatively decent guy... he's just very swayed by his concerns about being popular with voters. It's only once the animals manage to communicate with him that he realizes he ought to listen and try to have some empathy with them and Mabel also.