by Josh Sewell
Hoppers
(Rated PG for action/peril, some scary images and mild language. Opens in theaters on March 6.)
Disney’s track record for animated films – whether they’re from Pixar or the studio’s traditional arm – has been spotty lately, especially when it comes to original work. In trying to eliminate all traces of controversy from their movies and television shows, they’re left with stories that don’t have much to say. (But bland movies make for happy shareholders, apparently.)
Post-pandemic, interesting flicks like Soul, Turning Red and Luca were sent straight to Disney+, while the big screen was reserved for supposedly safer fare like Lightyear and Strange World, both of which tanked. An occasional Encanto snuck through, but most theatrical releases were saved for sequels like Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King and Zootopia 2, all of which were huge successes.
So, when original stuff like Wish and Elio bombed, Disney took all the wrong lessons from their failure. That’s why I’m nervous about Hoppers, Pixar’s new non-sequel that hits theaters this weekend without much fanfare. In fact, the most memorable element of the trailer is a gag about how similar the premise is to Avatar, a blockbuster property from the same studio.
While that’s technically true, screenwriter Jesse Andrews and director Daniel Chong make it a bit more family-friendly and take it in an interesting, socially relevant direction. The story centers on animal lover Mabel (Piper Curda), who takes advantage of new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals.
As she learns about the wonders of this unexplored world, Mabel befriends King George (Bobby Moynihan), the beavers’ charismatic leader. As she gains his trust, they must rally the entire animal kingdom to face an imminent threat from humans, represented by local mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm).
While Hoppers doesn’t break a lot of new creative ground, it does allow Pixar to branch out from their traditional animation style a bit. Plus, its primary goal is making viewers laugh instead of tugging at their heartstrings.
There are a few sweet moments, but for the most part the flick is a gag delivery system that delivers more winners than groaners. It’s also got one of the darkest jokes I’ve ever seen in a Pixar movie, which is so sudden that it took me a moment to process it. Honestly, “Hoppers” is worth checking out for that sequence alone.
Grade: B+
The Bride!
(Rated R for strong/bloody violent content, sexual content/nudity and language. Opens in theaters on March 6.)
Maggie Gyllenhaal is a fantastic actress, but 2021’s The Lost Daughter proved she’s also a pretty great writer-director. Her follow up is The Bride!, a bonkers semi-sequel/reimagining of Frankenstein that hits theaters this weekend. It’s a fascinating watch that’s never boring and takes a lot of big swings. Unfortunately, it’s a jumbled tonal mishmash that never really gels.
I respect Gyllenhaal’s ambition, as well as her cast’s willingness to go to extremes in their performances. Ultimately, however, the flick ends up being a flawed vanity project. The Bride! reinterprets James Whale’s classic Universal monster movies by following a lonely, desperate Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) to 1930s Chicago. He tracks down notorious mad scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) and persuades her to create a companion for him.
The two reanimate a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who was recently murdered by gangsters and The Bride is born. From there, due to a series of misunderstandings, she and Frank embark on a Bonnie and Clyde-style crime spree as they flee from the authorities.
Although The Bride! isn’t good in the traditional sense, I can’t deny the movie stuck with me for days after seeing it. Despite many shortcomings, it’s always compelling and attempts to tackle some grandiose ideas.
Gyllenhaal crafts a much more radical and intriguing reinterpretation of classic characters than audiences saw in Guillermo del Toro’s recent Frankenstein adaptation or whatever the heck Emerald Fennell was trying to do with Wuthering Heights. Sadly, she just never really figures out what kind of story she wants to tell.
From a technical standpoint, The Bride! is excellent. Karen Murphy’s production design, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score and Lawrence Sher’s cinematography are all beautiful. Plus, there are some terrific moments of comedy thanks to intentionally on-the-nose needle drops.
The cast is outstanding as well, which makes sense considering Gyllenhaal’s many connections to friends and family in the industry. Bale (her love interest in The Dark Knight) and Buckley (who also starred in The Lost Daughter) have scorching chemistry and chew scenery like crazy. Bening is also terrific as Dr. Euphronious, although I wish she had more to do.
Gyllenhaal’s brother Jake shows up in a couple of scenes as a smarmy movie star, while her husband Peter Sarsgaard plays a detective hot on the monsters’ trail. He shares his scenes with a willing Penelope Cruz, but the two feel out of place in a muddled subplot that doesn’t really go anywhere.
Even though The Bride! is ultimately a failed experiment, it still marks an interesting step forward in Gyllenhaal’s career behind the camera. If nothing else, it’s got me curious about what she wants to do next.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG for action/peril, some scary images and mild language. Opens in theaters on March 6.)
Disney’s track record for animated films – whether they’re from Pixar or the studio’s traditional arm – has been spotty lately, especially when it comes to original work. In trying to eliminate all traces of controversy from their movies and television shows, they’re left with stories that don’t have much to say. (But bland movies make for happy shareholders, apparently.)
Post-pandemic, interesting flicks like Soul, Turning Red and Luca were sent straight to Disney+, while the big screen was reserved for supposedly safer fare like Lightyear and Strange World, both of which tanked. An occasional Encanto snuck through, but most theatrical releases were saved for sequels like Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King and Zootopia 2, all of which were huge successes.
So, when original stuff like Wish and Elio bombed, Disney took all the wrong lessons from their failure. That’s why I’m nervous about Hoppers, Pixar’s new non-sequel that hits theaters this weekend without much fanfare. In fact, the most memorable element of the trailer is a gag about how similar the premise is to Avatar, a blockbuster property from the same studio.
While that’s technically true, screenwriter Jesse Andrews and director Daniel Chong make it a bit more family-friendly and take it in an interesting, socially relevant direction. The story centers on animal lover Mabel (Piper Curda), who takes advantage of new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals.
As she learns about the wonders of this unexplored world, Mabel befriends King George (Bobby Moynihan), the beavers’ charismatic leader. As she gains his trust, they must rally the entire animal kingdom to face an imminent threat from humans, represented by local mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm).
While Hoppers doesn’t break a lot of new creative ground, it does allow Pixar to branch out from their traditional animation style a bit. Plus, its primary goal is making viewers laugh instead of tugging at their heartstrings.
There are a few sweet moments, but for the most part the flick is a gag delivery system that delivers more winners than groaners. It’s also got one of the darkest jokes I’ve ever seen in a Pixar movie, which is so sudden that it took me a moment to process it. Honestly, “Hoppers” is worth checking out for that sequence alone.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong/bloody violent content, sexual content/nudity and language. Opens in theaters on March 6.)
Maggie Gyllenhaal is a fantastic actress, but 2021’s The Lost Daughter proved she’s also a pretty great writer-director. Her follow up is The Bride!, a bonkers semi-sequel/reimagining of Frankenstein that hits theaters this weekend. It’s a fascinating watch that’s never boring and takes a lot of big swings. Unfortunately, it’s a jumbled tonal mishmash that never really gels.
I respect Gyllenhaal’s ambition, as well as her cast’s willingness to go to extremes in their performances. Ultimately, however, the flick ends up being a flawed vanity project. The Bride! reinterprets James Whale’s classic Universal monster movies by following a lonely, desperate Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) to 1930s Chicago. He tracks down notorious mad scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) and persuades her to create a companion for him.
The two reanimate a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who was recently murdered by gangsters and The Bride is born. From there, due to a series of misunderstandings, she and Frank embark on a Bonnie and Clyde-style crime spree as they flee from the authorities.
Although The Bride! isn’t good in the traditional sense, I can’t deny the movie stuck with me for days after seeing it. Despite many shortcomings, it’s always compelling and attempts to tackle some grandiose ideas.
Gyllenhaal crafts a much more radical and intriguing reinterpretation of classic characters than audiences saw in Guillermo del Toro’s recent Frankenstein adaptation or whatever the heck Emerald Fennell was trying to do with Wuthering Heights. Sadly, she just never really figures out what kind of story she wants to tell.
From a technical standpoint, The Bride! is excellent. Karen Murphy’s production design, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score and Lawrence Sher’s cinematography are all beautiful. Plus, there are some terrific moments of comedy thanks to intentionally on-the-nose needle drops.
The cast is outstanding as well, which makes sense considering Gyllenhaal’s many connections to friends and family in the industry. Bale (her love interest in The Dark Knight) and Buckley (who also starred in The Lost Daughter) have scorching chemistry and chew scenery like crazy. Bening is also terrific as Dr. Euphronious, although I wish she had more to do.
Gyllenhaal’s brother Jake shows up in a couple of scenes as a smarmy movie star, while her husband Peter Sarsgaard plays a detective hot on the monsters’ trail. He shares his scenes with a willing Penelope Cruz, but the two feel out of place in a muddled subplot that doesn’t really go anywhere.
Even though The Bride! is ultimately a failed experiment, it still marks an interesting step forward in Gyllenhaal’s career behind the camera. If nothing else, it’s got me curious about what she wants to do next.
Grade: C-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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