You get a bit of a science lesson with a political message in “Hoppers,” an animated film that also has plenty of cute characters.
Those characters are former residents of a glade in Beaverton who leave when the mayor decides to build a beltway over their home. Rather than stick around, the animals flee, making the once-serene pond a wasteland.
This bothers Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda), a 19-year-old college student who found peace in the setting. She complains to professors and, in the process, discovers they’ve created robots that can mingle among the animals and, like Doctor Doolittle, talk to them.
The premise seems like an extension of “Spy in the Wild,” a PBS series that plopped mechanical animals amid real ones. Here, though, the animals talk about the circle of life and admit it’s OK for bigger animals (namely bears) to eat lesser ones. They also get the idea that they could squish the mayor (voiced by Jon Hamm) like a bug if they joined forces.
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Before the onslaught begins there’s a transformation — Mabel into the body of one of the robot beavers. She befriends King George (Bobby Moynihan), the beaver who directs the animal world.
There’s a meet-and-greet that begins the science lessons and lets older audience members try to guess who’s voicing what. (Yup, that’s Meryl Streep.) The “let’s get along” theme seems like something that would work well at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If it didn’t use old pop songs, this also might be a place for a new anthem from a reigning pop star.
Writer/director Daniel Chong doesn’t embrace a Disney mold (even though there are some missteps, like the deer who make TV’s Rudolph look realistic in comparison), but he wants to educate an audience that might prefer burping bears.
There are chases (much like those in “Zootopia”) and work sessions (or “parties,” as they like to call them) that edge this closer to previous talking animals films, but it also wants to impart a message about the price of progress, particularly when it encroaches on animal homes.
The conclusion is clear but not encouraging. “Hoppers” suggests we need to work together to make the world a better place. But if humans don’t do their part, we’re all doomed to extinction. A solution? Hop to it!
