Hoppers review: These animals have personality

At some point in their lives, most animal lovers wish they could understand their furry or scaly friends. That doesn’t stop people from talking to their pets or wild animals. But they know they won’t receive a comprehensible response in return. This inability to communicate leads to humans anthropomorphizing animals, assigning them the voices and thoughts they think they may have. This creative solution appears in images, videos and writing across all genres. It’s all in good fun since we’ll never know how accurate it is. But in Hoppers, researchers find a not-so-unique, scientific solution to learn the truth.

Mabel (Piper Curda) finds peace in nature that she can’t achieve anywhere else. But anyone who threatens her landscape must face her wrath. Consequently, she frequently butts heads with Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm) on environmental issues. Now that he wants to build a bridge through her treasured glen, it’s war. While trying to find a way to stop the construction, Mabel stumbles on a secret experiment. A science professor (Kathy Najimy) has found a way to transfer people’s minds into realistic, robotic animals so they can live amongst the wildlife. Now, Mabel hopes she can leverage their technology to convince the animals to help her save the glen.

If the basis of the equipment sounds familiar, that’s because it’s very similar to the technology used in the Avatar franchise. Only this time, they’re possessing non-descript wild animals rather than imitations of an alien species. Yet, the science seems a bit sketchy. They show a series of mechanical prototypes that trace the evolution of the avatars. They also provide a comically high-level explanation of how it works with a handful of words and gestures. However, it’s unclear how they are able to communicate with the animals simply by looking like they belong. Viewers will need to ignore this detail to allow the story to progress, but the humour is a pretty good distraction.

As the creator of We Bare Bears, co-writer and director Daniel Chong knows something about endearing animals. One of the film’s more fascinating elements is the clear but quiet differences between the animals’ appearances depending on whose perspective they’re seen through. When using the avatar and living amongst the wildlife, the creatures’ looks reflect their individuality. Even though many of them have big personalities, the visual traits make it easier to tell them apart. From communicative eyes to dramatic facial expressions to distinct hairstyles, the animated mammals are exceptional. Conversely, to the humans who can’t understand them, all the animals look alike because they can’t perceive their unique dispositions.

King George (Bobby Moynihan) is a charismatic beaver who is positive to a fault. He sees the good in everyone and does his best to create a community in which everyone is welcome. Though the rules may seem a bit counter-intuitive. Nonetheless, he immediately welcomes Mabel into their society and begins to see her as a confidante. More surprising is Diane (Vanessa Bayer), the great white shark. She lives up to her reputation of being super nice, even when she’s being flown across land by a flock of seagulls. It’s amusing to watch an apex predator be exceedingly polite while on the verge of literally biting someone’s head off.

Though it may not play for the younger crowd, older audience members will recognize a clever Game of Thrones reference. When George appoints a “Paw,” it alludes to one of the most revered and coveted positions in the series — the Hand, advisor to the king. The animal council has a similar vibe to the Table in John Wick. Each class of animal is represented by a king or queen who deliberate big issues that expand beyond one location or species. In extreme cases, they may even recommend a “squish.” To this end, there’s a surprising turn of events when the animals turn out to be more cunning than expected.

The film begins with the heartwarming story of an animal lover trying to liberate her school’s classroom pets — and with good reason based on how the children treat them. This love of nature creates a beautiful bond between Mabel and her Grandma Tanaka (Karen Huie). She introduces Mabel to nature’s calmness at the now-threatened glen. Meanwhile, Mayor Jerry is the stereotypical, money-hungry villain. He predictably does dishonest things that will harm the environment in the name of his latest business venture’s success.

For an animated movie, the narrative deals with a lot of different issues. Most obvious is the environmental protection theme, which illustrates why it’s important to safeguard green spaces. But it also addresses smaller, relatable problems, including bonding with elderly family members, coping with big feelings and how reacting emotionally to a situation can have negative consequences.

The film is enjoyable for audiences of all ages. Hopefully, very young viewers take to heart the message about appreciating nature and tranquility it can offer. After all, the children are our future.

Director: Daniel Chong
Starring: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm