Pixar magic: a feeling we all know and love, that can only be brought on by an equal parts heart-wrenching and heartwarming animated film from Pixar studios. Movies like “Inside Out,” “Up,” “Coco,” “Ratatouille” and “Wall-E” are some of the first that come to mind. In recent years, however, it seems that Pixar has lost a bit of that touch with movies like “Elio” and “Lightyear,” which gained much less traction compared to some of the studio’s bigger hits.
Pixar’s latest film, “Hoppers,” was released into theaters on March 6, 2026. It debuted at the number one spot at the box office, earning $88 million in global ticket sales in its opening weekend.
The movie follows Mabel, an avid animal lover who hates how people disregard the animals around them. Throughout the movie, Mabel protests a highway construction project that would destroy the forest she grew up visiting with her grandma, displacing many animals in the process. When Mabel discovers an experimental technology that can put her mind into a robotic beaver, she realizes that this is her chance to save her grandmother’s glade and the animals’ homes.
“Hoppers” brings some Pixar magic back to the big screens. What gave the movie that signature heart-wrenching feeling was how Mabel feels a need to protect the forest because of how important it was to her grandmother. Her grandmother serving as a north star for Mabel, guiding her through every choice, made me understand why Mabel did the things she did on a deeper level. The relationship between the two characters provided context but also a human aspect to Mabel that made her very relatable.
The movie also touched well on important themes of protecting nature and wildlife. The impending highway construction project and deforestation felt very relevant to today’s issues of city expansion and climate change across the world. Mabel’s strength to fight against all of it was inspiring and shed light on current problems.
Pixar’s animation, as always, was beautiful and detailed. The scenery in the movies was drawn almost like a watercolor, and this artistic choice worked really well for the movie. It portrayed the calm of nature, and this gave another layer to the movie’s overarching message of peace.
My one issue with the movie was that the lesson woven into the story felt a bit elementary when compared to classic Pixar projects, which typically carry very deep and emotional ideas. The main messages of “Coco” were about heavy topics of death, legacy and family heritage. The message of “Up” was that life’s best adventures happen in the small moments spent with loved ones, instead of on display for the world. “Hoppers’” message of “we’re all in this together,” when lined up next to past classics, felt especially catered to a younger audience.
My final rating: 4.5/5. “Hoppers” may just be Pixar’s best original movie since the classics that have defined the studio. The messages of unity and togetherness, combined with the sad yet heartwarming story of Mabel’s grandmother, give this movie some of the iconic Pixar flavor that we haven’t seen in quite a while.
