Hoppers’ Moral Is Sweet On The Surface, But Surprisingly Tricky In Practice

The following contains spoilers for HoppersHoppers is a sweet film that contains a deceptively tricky moral about activism. The film follows a young woman named Mabel, who is constantly working to preserve a local forest glade. This pits her against the local authorities, who seek to tear it down, and forces her to hijack the newfound “Hopper” technology to find out how to stop it.

Hoppers is ultimately a sweet story about community, with Mabel’s growth relying on her ability to find empathy with others proving crucial. Hoppers has the family-friendly message about the power of activism, but also tries to temper it with a layer of constant connection. That’s not to say it has to be soft or weak, but open and determined.

Hoppers Thinks Activism Is Hard, Frustrating, And Worth It

One of the core elements of Hoppers is a surprisingly tricky depiction of activism as a practice for social change, with an ultimately positive portrayal that is complicated by the challenges and hang-ups of the process. Mabel is defined early on as a defiant protester, even as a child. She’s constantly fighting authority and trying to “save” the world.

As with any film about that sort of subject matter, Mabel faces challenges, including a disinterested public and an apathetic (if not outright confrontational) system of authority. However, the film never makes Mabel a perfect person either, giving her a number of flaws she has to overcome herself.

Mabel’s frustrations with a broken system have left her angry, with a tendency to lash out in anger. This happens when she’s a child and bites people, as well as when she’s a grown woman and accidentally kills the Insect Queen. Her temper always makes things worse for her and her cause.

It frustrates people around her or, even worse, motivates them to give in to anger instead of change. This leaves the door open for someone like Titus to step in and redirect that justifiable anger, such as when Mabel riles up the other animal kingdoms but fails to temper it with empathy, leading them to try and kill Jerry.

Mabel’s lowest points come when she is confronted with the struggle of actually achieving change and her frustration over failing to do so more easily. The film also takes note that Mabel finds her best luck creating change by actually appealing to others and striving to work with them.

Mabel is forced to contend with the simultaneously complimentary and confrontational relationship between different animals, weighing their own system of morality against her own. She tries to reach out to Titus, reasons with Jerry, and reaffirms her connection to King George, all of which speak to her growth.

It’s also notable when Mabel is actually able to formulate a plan, unite different kingdoms, and ultimately save the glade. In the world of Hoppers, activism can be tough, thankless, and frustrating. Embracing empathy with it and carrying on despite the challenges is the key to overcoming those challenges set by the world.

Confrontation And Community Are Key To Hoppers

This is partly what makes Hoppers so thematically effective. While Mabel is initially confronted with the challenges of activism and is even disheartened at multiple places, she never truly loses her motivation. Instead, it is her approach that is morphed by her circumstances, laying the groundwork for the glade’s survival.

Mabel is able to learn the importance of community while in King George’s dam, finding the shared spirit and strength of the mammal kingdom despite their occasional need to eat one another. Similarly, other groups of animals come together to aid them in the climax, helping save the local town.

However, none of that comes easily. Mabel is forced to confront her nominal enemies at crucial junctions of the film. However, whereas she previously tried to force her opinion and approach, she reasons with it and finds common ground. In doing so, she’s able to convince Jerry to help save the day.

Her words fail to turn Titus away from his harsher path, but they do convince the other animal kingdoms to unite. It even pays off in the final moments of the film, where her efforts lead to Jerry sparing the glade. By refusing to back down but also not letting her frustrations get the better of her, Mabel finally wins.

There’s a place for anger and frustration in activision. It’s what motivates Mabel, and it’s a key aspect of her personality that pushes her to save what she cares about. However, she can’t do everything through rage and alone. She needs to center herself to direct her emotions, giving her a chance to empathize and unite with others.

It gives Hoppers an optimistic but tricky message. Activism requires an unyielding spirit, even in the face of adversity. However, it can’t let the natural frustrations that come with the territory define it. By being empathetic and working with anyone, Mabel is able to ensure Hoppers gets a happy ending.