Disney/Pixar

Bring home ‘Hoppers’ for a hoppin’ good time

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 


The Disney/Pixar film Hoppers is now available on digital platforms with plenty of bonus material. The story is filled with heart as one brave young girl sets out to help the animals in her beloved glade.

Mabel starts off in the film as a very young girl who has always tried to help animals, even going so far as to attempt to take them from her school and set them free.  The story then jumps to Mabel as a 19-year old and living with her grandmother who teaches her about the environment and how we are all connected – animals and humans.

When the devious mayor begins to build a beltway through the glade, Mabel steps into action. Hoping to stop the construction, she sets out to get a petition, however that does not go the way she wants. 

Then she accidentally discovers an experiment in the lab at her college. It involves transferring a human brain into a robotic animal and going out into the world to discover more about them. They call it “hopping.”

She says the experiment is just like Avatar, but her professor disagrees. Not wanting to waste any time saving the glade and the animals’ home, Mabel jumps right into the experiment, to the surprise of those in the lab. 

Now, as a robotic beaver, Mabel sets out to find all the animals that were displaced by the construction project. She knows that if she can get just one beaver to return to the glade, then other animals will follow.

Mabel first meets George, the mammal king who is a well-intentioned beaver. George sees her as just another beaver. When George and the other animals resign themselves to living away from their home, it is Mabel who spurs them on to regain their habitat. And she is victorious, for a while.

Discovering the true evilness inflicted on the animals by the mayor, Mable puts her heart and soul into stopping the construction and helping the animals. 

The friendship between Mabel and George is precious. And all the animals have interesting personalities and perspectives on life. The “pond rule” is that if an animal is captured by another animal, that’s just the way it is. He or she then becomes the other animal’s meal. That’s the circle of life, or as they say, the pond rule.

When push comes to shove, it is the animals who ultimately save the humans. 

This is a cute story with a young hero who sets a good example for others. Although there are scenes of animals’ demise, on the whole it is a very entertaining film.

The bonus features take viewers into the movie-making process with insights from the filmmakers.

“The Critter Diaries” is a featurette showing how the team researched the lives and physiology of the animals. They went to Yellowstone National Park where they were able to get up close with the animals and even into a deserted Beaver lodge! The folks at Pixar always do extensive research when making a film, and this time they had a great time exploring nature and the wild life of Yellowstone.

“Hopping In: The Making of Hoppers” delves into the process of creating the story, refining it, and ultimately bringing it to the public. 

“Meet King George” focuses on how George’s Superlodge was created. This was a daunting task but the final product was worth it.

“Beaverton Revealed” shows various easter eggs in the scenes which die-hard Pixar fans might have missed when viewing the film. 

Bloopers and several deleted scenes are also included. The scenes that did not make it into the final production are introduced by director Daniel Chong and editor Axel Geddes. Honestly, many of them are so cute that they could be in the film, however they did not make the cut.

Keep in mind bonus features may vary by product and retailer.

 

Hoppers is rated PG for action/peril, some scary images, and mild language. It is now available on digital platforms including Movies Anywhere, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. On June 2, 2026 it will be available on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as a 4K UHD set. 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘The Art of Hoppers’ book review

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

The newest “Art of” book in the Disney/Pixar series is The Art of Hoppers, with coincides with the release of the latest animated film. The story focuses on one determined young woman who makes it her mission to save and protect animals and their habitats.

The book, like all the others in this series, includes editorial as well as countless images and drawings that went into creating the movie.

The foreword from Executive Producer Pete Doctor, is filled with his usual wit. With the main character “hopping” into the robotic body of a beaver, Doctor writes, “So as you gnaw through these pages, take a moment to chew over the artistry behind the adventure, This is where Hoppers began – not in the final polished frames, but in the raw, dam-bursting creativity that first brought these beavers to life.” 

Indeed, the story did not begin the way it ended up, and through the pages the various prospective scenes are shown, giving readers a better insight into the mindset of the creative team. Director Daniel Chong admits that his initial thoughts on the film could not come to fruition. But things eventually worked out. He writes, “As our own King George would say, we were all in this together.”

There is a picture of the blackboard which the scientists use to figure out how to “hop” from a human brain into a robotic animal. It is filled with equations and scientific terms. Is this really how to do it? It is in a Disney/Pixar film!

Mabel, the hero of the film, went through different visual incarnations until they came up with final look of this girl. Mabel Tanaka is a determined 19-year-old who is fearless when it comes to helping the animals. Granted, she may not be the cutest animated hero, but she does have something very likable about her looks and her expressions. And her love of animals adds to her likability.

The pages are a great adjunct to the movie. I highly recommend seeing the movie first then going through the book to get a detailed background to the characters, the story, and the visuals that are seen on the screen. 

The animators describe how they created the various animals – their shapes and colors. Plus the attitudes of the critters had to come through in the film, so that gave them more reason to delve into the construct of the faces and bodies.

My favorite page is 69, and it is a digital drawing of the main animals in the film. It brings back the humor, humanity, and fun of the story.

There are comments by the artists along with the digital art that helps readers learn about the background of the story and the scenes.

True, there are some intense and scary parts to the film, but the majority is colorful and sweet. Sensitivity, however, always resides in the background, and the book demonstrates that.

As story artist Vanessa Guvele says, “The fire scene symbolizes everything Mabel has fought for going up in flames. … Even after Mabel loses everything, her friends are there to pick her up when she needs them the most.” That is the theme of the film. We are all in this together and must help each other. 

The book is filled with artwork and background, and screenwriter Jesse Andrews admits it took three years to write the story. Reading the comments by the filmmakers, it is evident they all had a lot of fun creating this new movie.

  • The Art of Hoppers
  • Publisher  :  Chronicle Books
  • Publication date  :  February 10, 2026
  • ISBN-10  :  1797237071
  • ISBN-13  :  978-179723707

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Read our movie review of Hoppers here.