‘Hoppers’ Review: Animal Magnetism

Talking animals have, of course, been the bread and butter of animated films since the dawn of animation, and they’ve gone from cute to obnoxious over time; movies like the cursed “Secret Life of Pets” franchise and certain others like it have made me never want to watch an animal crack a joke again. But “Hoppers” takes an interesting route around this, to its credit, imbuing characters with distinct details and habits and, in some circumstances, ensuring that they act and sound like animals, not like animal-shaped people. This lends the film some realism that feels unusual and refreshing.