Hoppers (2026)

Pixar’s funniest film in years threads silly, emotional and meaningful elements together with bonkers animal-world worldbuilding and a heartfelt message about nature and unity. It shows confidence the studio has often lacked lately.

The critic deems it Pixar’s freshest, funniest movie in years and the first since Turning Red offering something new, with nimble comedy about an environmental activist infiltrating the animal kingdom.

The film is Pixar at its best, with warmth, humor, exciting action, endearing characters, and an expansive notion of community. It has charm and a touch of magic but is grounded in empathy for all species.

The critic calls it Pixar returning to vintage form with a clever, funny and visually appealing nutty action comedy that zips along driven by rambunctious energy. It singles out the tenacious protagonist flanked by amusingly anthropomorphized creatures that thrill kids while entertaining adults.

The critic calls it an inventive eco-adventure and a delight, praising its wit, comedic bite, expressive character design, crisp pacing and savage humour. It excels at finding magic in real-world environments threatened by urbanisation.

The critic sees it as a reminder of how good and weird Pixar can be when it aims small, with smart unruly variation at its center, comic energy unseen since Turning Red, and a zippy stylized cuteness.

Chong has unleashed a hilariously unexpected and outrageous crowd-pleaser with this environmentalist tale. It feels like the first great animated movie of the year, exalting individual conviction and community.

Pixar bounces back from Elio with a beautifully judged, adorably animated film that blends body-swap chaos with an empowering message about co-existence. The critic praises its funny, lovely and appealingly righteous tone with big-hearted hopefulness.

The critic argues it counts as required family viewing for its fresh artistry and storytelling, being breezily funny, commendably fleet and appealingly modest. It owns its Avatar-like premise while using perky stylisation and old-school resolution.

Pixar rediscovers its mojo with an exuberant beaver-led action-thriller in which a young woman turns into a robot beaver to save an ecosystem. The critic singles out the well-executed high-concept premise and its full David Attenborough-style embrace of the natural world.

The critic finds it a witty, sprightly family animation that riffs amusingly on Avatar and other films while exploring anthropomorphism and environmental protection. It zaps along entertainingly despite a loss of nerve on the villain.

The cheerfully ludicrous sci-fi comedy launches into strange narrative territory with screw-loose comic vigor. It is a hoot but also soulful, knowing that seeing and understanding are one and the same for humans and animals.

An entertaining Pixar picture that gets plenty of comic mileage out of its oddball premise of a teenager transmitting her consciousness into a robot beaver. The critic notes it introduces a refreshingly darker strain of humour alongside its paeans to the natural world, though the story sometimes forces its emotional beats.

The movie has charm from its pudgy beavers and absurd humor that makes the overcrowded plot watchable. It delivers a fable-like lesson on coexistence and not letting the strongest win, with a science-nerd edge.

The critic calls it a fun, modest little movie with enough zip and charm to keep kids engaged, acknowledging Pixar may be running out of ideas but crediting the filmmakers for making the cumbersome setup go down easy with Looney Tunes-style antics.

The critic finds it a messy confused film and a clear illustration of Pixar’s decline, with hectic chatty world-building that becomes less coherent, regressive artistically, and a Disney-friendly platitude disconnected from its themes.

The critic notes the energetic, bittersweet latest with care, energy, gags and neat flights of fancy that elicits gasps and laughs from kids. It may leave children with mixed feelings while parents enjoy the wholesome eco-activist adventure.

Hoppers is a wildly imaginative Pixar comedy that conceals a lesson about protecting natural habitats inside a hilarious coming-of-age story. It features zany set pieces, visual and verbal gags, and emotional gut punches.

The critic sees it as a step in the right direction for Pixar, with lots of fun, exquisite one-liners and a delightfully overstuffed finale, though not quite returning to glory days. It delivers a wholesome message through the secret life of woodland creatures.

The delightful new Pixar film is an out-of-the-box critter comedy that’s like ‘Bambi’ on crack. It is top-drawer Pixar that takes you someplace you’ve never imagined.

The critic calls it Pixar's funniest film in years and an instant classic, praising its audacious mix of slapstick comedy, heartfelt emotion, and thoughtful environmental themes.

The critic hails “Hoppers” as Pixar’s best film since “Coco,” praising its funny, clever, kind, playfully dark and wonderfully weird sci-fi comedy that subverts the “Avatar” premise with moral complexity, imaginative animal society storytelling, and a nuanced take on politics and intervention.

The critic calls Hoppers one of Pixar’s funniest films yet, praising its wild tone, inventive concept, and balance of comedy with emotional themes and heart. Chong’s direction and the voice cast stand out as highlights.

The critic finds the film clumsy and incoherent, arguing it undermines advocacy and promotes apathy by punishing the protagonist for trying to make a difference. Strong animation is noted but does not salvage the muddled message and plot.