Walking into a room full of executives and pitching a story is never easy, especially when your goal is to win over critics and even more so when the star of your story is a beaver. And yet, somehow, Disney and Pixar’s latest animated adventure, “Hoppers,” makes it work brilliantly. Critics are calling it the studio’s best work in nearly a decade, a clever, heartwarming and “hilariously bonkers” reminder of why Pixar has long been the gold standard of animation.
From the very first frame, “Hoppers” transports audiences into a vivid world where animation offers an escape, while still reflecting real-life challenges like environmental crises and the impact of human development.
Directed by Daniel Chong, the creative mind behind “We Bare Bears,” the story follows 19-year-old Japanese-American Mabel Tanaka, whose love for animals was nurtured by her grandmother. Mabel’s hometown of Beaverton, however, faces a modern dilemma: Mayor Jerry wants highways and railroads to replace the town’s beloved pond, forcing its animal inhabitants, including an industrious colony of beavers, out of their homes.
Beavers are more than just adorable animals who go viral on the internet; they are often called the engineers of nature. By building dams and lodges, these members of a family of rodents known as Castoridae shape waterways, create wetlands and improve biodiversity, all of which benefit other species and even help mitigate flooding. In “Hoppers,” the film elevates the beaver to a regal status, portraying it as a kind of “king” with an audience of woodland creatures including bears, shrews, earthworms, dragonflies, snakes and more, highlighting the interconnectedness of nature in a playful yet respectful way.
In real life, their engineering prowess has been making headlines: in 2024, baby beavers were born in urban London for the first time in over 400 years. The family of Eurasian beavers was introduced to a nature reserve in Ealing, west London, to engage the public with conservation, monitor biodiversity and study flood mitigation, according to the BBC.
It’s a familiar environmental tale, yet “Hoppers,” now sitting at 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and currently the highest-rated Pixar film, gives it a clever, imaginative twist. Much like in James Cameron’s “Avatar,” where humans transfer their consciousness into Na’vi avatars to connect with Pandora’s world, Mabel enters the mind of a beaver through a robotic, animatronic avatar in the shape of the animal. This allows her to experience life from the animals’ perspective, telling a story of empathy and adventure as she fights to protect the creatures she loves. Critics have also praised the film’s dark humor, which reminds us that nature isn’t always cute and cuddly; it can be messy and challenging.
The voice cast, including Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, Jon Hamm and Meryl Streep, brings energy and depth, elevating the story from a simple adventure to an emotionally rich experience. Critics have been quick to praise the film: it currently holds an impressive 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a near-perfect score that cements its place as one of Pixar’s finest offerings in nearly a decade.
Beyond the technical brilliance and inventive storytelling, “Hoppers” succeeds because it reminds us of what animation can do at its best: offer a respite from reality while also reflecting it, delivering empathy and inspiration in equal measure. After years of experimentation, fans of Pixar noted that the studio had returned to a place of heart and creativity. With this animated adventure, the film also feels remarkably timely. In a world grappling with conflict, environmental challenges and the complexities of human relationships, it gently reminds us, as Grandma Tanaka tells Mabel, that anger isn’t always the answer and that many of the most meaningful actions come from love and understanding.
For its Philippine nationwide release on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, SunStar Lifestyle attended the advance screening on Feb. 27 at the Large Screen Cinema in SM Seaside, experiencing firsthand what makes the film such a triumph. S