Pixar Bounces Back From 'Elio's Failure With a Brand New Hit That Nailed 94% on Rotten Tomatoes

Following the failure of Elio, Pixar found itself in a difficult situation. The Hollywood giant that gave the world Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Inside Out had become increasingly reliant on sequels and proven franchises in recent years.

Then, suddenly, came an original project unrelated to any universe – Daniel Chong's Hoppers is an act of courage that seems to have paid off.

It appears that Pixar is returning to its roots with original stories.

What Is 'Hoppers' About?

Since childhood, Mabel has loved animals so much that she constantly organized escapes from the school zoo. As an adult eco-activist, she is sent to live with her grandmother, who teaches her to calm her anger by contemplating nature.

After her grandmother's death, Mabel's beloved beaver dam is threatened when the mayor decides to build a road there. In order to save the ecosystem, the beavers must be brought back, but they have vanished without a trace.

Mabel accidentally stumbles upon a laboratory run by university professors who are developing Hoppers, a project that involves transferring a person's consciousness into the mechanical body of an animal.

Mabel becomes a beaver and finds herself in the complex, absurd, and surprisingly politicized world of forest creatures.

Before 'Hoppers', Daniel Chong Made Another Animated Hit, 'We Bare Bears' – and It Shows

Director Daniel Chong worked in Pixar's creative department for many years, but he is best known as the creator of the charming animated series We Bare Bears.

Through mini-stories about three bear brothers, the project deftly explored the social anxieties of millennials, balancing absurd humor with genuine sadness. The series culminated in Chong's feature-length debut, leaving fans with a pleasant aftertaste.

In Hoppers, Chong is in his element with anthropomorphic animals, absurd dialogue, memorable supporting characters, and a knack for using animals to express human feelings.

Here, the animals clown around and engage in political debates – even cracking jokes that are unexpectedly dark for Pixar.

'Hoppers' Strikes the Perfect Balance Between Understandable Depth and Elegant Simplicity

Hoppers is both a classic Pixar project and something new. On the one hand, it's an environmental parable and a coming-of-age story in which the heroine acts as a mediator between nature and humanity, cutting the ropes that hold her back.

On the other hand, Hoppers is filled with absurdity and unconventional solutions. However, the movie's main strength is that it brings us back to Pixar's roots, to a time when the studio wasn't afraid to experiment and transform naive concepts into metaphors for growing up and taking on responsibility.

In an industry where major studios increasingly rely on sequels and reboots, Hoppers is a breath of fresh air.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Hoppers'?

• Hoppers has 93% from critics and 94% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, Hoppers scored 3.9/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Hoppers'?

Hoppers is currently playing in theaters.