Hoppers Parent Guide

Mabel (Piper Curda) loves animals. All animals. As a child, she tried to free classroom pets at school. Now she’s nineteen years old and she has a much larger mission.

Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) is building an expressway that will run straight through a forest glade beloved by Mabel and her late grandmother (Karen Huie). Construction equipment is onsite, dynamite is in position, and the only way Mabel can stop it is to prove that the glade is a functioning animal habitat. If so, state law will force an end to the project. There’s just one problem: the creatures have all fled.

In desperation, Mabel turns to her biology professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), only to discover that she is running an unusual experiment that allows humans to inhabit robotic animals. Impulsively, Mabel slams the helmet onto her head and begins controlling a robotic beaver. She races for the woods, determined to find other beavers and convince them to settle in the glade. But “pond rules” are complicated and even if she can bring animals back to the glade, the Mayor might have more tricks up his sleeve…

Hoppers is an emotionally intense, vividly drawn story of loss and hope, that is geared at youngsters but which will also speak to adults. For kids, this film delivers strong messages of persistence, loyalty, friendship, empathy, courage, honesty, and environmental stewardship. It even has a protagonist who needs to find healthy ways to overcome strong, potentially destructive emotions, something that will resonate with some kids. Young viewers will enjoy the animal antics and the happy ending. 

For adults, Hoppers is a more challenging film, one apt to the moment. This isn’t just a movie about fighting the good fight. It’s a story about persisting in the face of apathy, exhaustion, and despair. I found the film draining to watch: Mabel is so consumed with rage and hopelessness that her angst seeps off the screen. (In fact, it nearly reduced me to tears.) Yes, there’s a happy ending, but Mabel suffers an awful lot on the way there, and adults will likely suffer along with her.

Parents considering this film for family viewing will want to take note of the violence in the story. Animals eat other animals and discuss rules about eating each other. There are moments of extreme peril, including a forest fire that triggers a major evacuation. In addition, animals spend a lot of time talking about “squishing” others, which is code for killing them. 

The violence is one problem; for me, the larger issue is the movie’s messy second half. The story builds up well, but when the beaver king (Bobby Moynihan) summons the animal council, the tale takes a turn for the absurd, becoming increasingly unbelievable. (Yes, I know talking animals are already unbelievable, but there’s a limit to my ability to suspend disbelief.) The movie’s ridiculousness peaks when birds lift a shark out of the ocean and try to drop it on a human, with murderous intent. This brings new meaning to “jumping the shark” and is one of the film’s weakest moments.

I must admit to strongly mixed feelings about Hoppers. The script’s flaws are annoying but the movie’s heart is in the right place. It’s not just an earnest story about caring for our planet, it’s also one about building human communities founded on respect and communication. This story reminds us that everyone can grow and change, and that’s a great message for viewers of any age.

About author

Kirsten Hawkes

Kirsten Hawkes has a BA in Political Science and English and has worked in international development and medical education and marketing. Kirsten enjoys reading, watching movies, and debating politics with her husband and sometimes unwilling children.