EXCLUSIVE FILM REVIEW: HOPPERS (U) ESP RATING: 3.5/5
- Gavin Miller
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
This definitely won’t trouble the Disney/Pixar animation greats – but there’s still much to enjoy with this eco-adventure.
In the town of Beaverton, young Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) spends time with her Grandmother (Karen Huie) in the local forest glade, home to an eclectic range of wildlife – including a colony of beavers – and develops a deep love for the natural world.
Years later – after her Grandma has passed – Mabel attempts to rally the community after popular town Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) announces plans to replace the glade with a freeway – claiming the animals have all left.
With all her campaigning to no avail, Mabel inadvertently discovers her biology professor Dr Sam Fairfax (Kathy Najimy) – who is disgruntled from Mabel’s lack of college attendance due to her eco activism – has been developing a new technology to enhance communication with the animal world (dubbed the ‘Hoppers’ program) which enables a human consciousness to ‘hop’ into a robotic animal and gain up close access to the respective species.
Which (right on cue) leads to a desperate Mabel forcing her way into using the new device – against Dr Sam’s wishes to not disrupt the eco-system – by jumping into an electronic beaver in an attempt to save her cherished habitat.
Here she meets lovable veteran beaver King George (Bobby Moynihan) – the head beaver of the communal ‘Superlodge’ forest area near the glade – and pals, and she soon befriends and rallies the animal community when she realises that Mayor Jerry’s construction team has erected a noise-emitting false tree to drive the wildlife away – and destroys it to the glee of her new-found friends.
But when the animals move back to the glade – and construct a new beavers’ dam in the process – Mayor Jerry retaliates to this resistance by destroying the embankment and installing more noise-emitting trees. This in turn brings the Animal Council of the Superlodge together, which sets off a chain of events – that even Mabel struggles to control – when crazed (monarch butterfly) Insect King Titus (Dave Franco) vows to ‘squish’ the mayor for good.
Unfortunately, this chaotically uber-unrealistic finale undoes some of the noteworthy set-up that comes beforehand, and takes the adventure down a different tonal path. See seagulls inexplicably carrying a three ton great white shark to attack a bewildered mayor in his car on a public highway, as a case in point.
But then fortunately – after this frenzied twenty minutes – Mabel, King George and co, pull it back round to make for a satisfactorily spirited ending, that nicely wraps things up.
Throw in the luscious trademark Pixar computer-generated imagery – in particular the breathtakingly realistic water scenes – some nicely balanced humorous interludes, and kudos for the attempt at an original storyline and this has the majority of ingredients for commendable entertainment.
Which makes this well worth any family sinking their teeth into.
ESP Rating: 3.5/5
Gavin Miller
SECOND OPINION: Gavin’s 12-year-old son, Joshua, recommended Hoppers by also giving it a praiseworthy 3.5/5 as well!
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Neve Campbell, Isabel May, Courteney Cox, Joe McHale, Anna Camp, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Ethan Embry & Matthew Lillard
Running Time: 1 Hr 54 Mins
Director: Kevin Williamson
Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe Cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk
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