Hoppers could be more Inside Out 2 and less Elio as critics praise the new Pixar movie's humor in glowing first reactions.
The Wrap's Drew Taylor wrote, "#Hoppers is Pixar's funniest movie ever. But that's not what makes it so special. It's a movie overflowing with ideas, gags and tons of heart, full of adorable character designs and a strong environmental message. It's unlike any Pixar movie but also fits in perfectly."
Next Best Picture's Daniel Howat agrees, remarking, "This movie is laugh out loud hilarious, with an off-the-wall story that just gets wilder and wilder. It's absurd, but a very fun ride that still has a good emotional kick to it."
"It's one of the most original, heartfelt, and wacky films to come out of Pixar in recent memory," Discussing Film's Tyler Taing said, echoing the thoughts of the small pool of journalists and critics who had a chance to see Hoppers early ahead of its March release. ComicBook's Chris Killian called it "one of the best non-sequels Pixar has made in a minute."
Hoppers is certainly one of Pixar's more unique premises – and that's saying something coming from those who have brought toys to life and turned monsters into scare experts.
The upcoming release revolves around teenager Mabel, who transplants her consciousness into a robotic beaver to help the animal community.
For a studio that prides itself on best-in-class animated movies, the last few years have been a little more rough on Pixar.
Onward, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red retained all the charm and imagination of Pixar classics, but were largely seen on streaming instead of cinemas thanks to a COVID-mandated shutdown.
Since then, there's been an even split of successes and failures. Elemental picked up steam at the box office, with Inside Out 2 becoming Pixar's highest-grossing movie ever. Space-set adventures Lightyear and Elio were far more disappointing efforts, however.
Hoppers, starring Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Najimy, hits cinemas on March 6.
For more, check out 2026's other big movie release dates and our ranking of the best Pixar movies.
