For months, I’ve been seeing viral clips of a comical green lizard named Tom — the one that spams lizard emojis with text-to-speech on a phone. That’s what initially drew me to “Hoppers.” 

Released on March 6 and directed by Daniel Chong, “Hoppers” covers the story of a tenacious young girl named Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda), who’s ambitious to save the glade near her late grandmother’s home.

The opening scene strikes me as memorable, foreshadowing what’s to come in the story, with elementary-school Mabel breaking all the class pets out of their sad, little habitats. This vigilante-esque behavior carries on, as 19-year-old Mabel becomes the sole opponent to the construction of a new beltway straight through the glade.

Her defense of the glade is rooted in a deep appreciation for nature as a place of peace and connection, an idea fostered by her grandmother. Mabel is a fiery and rather impulsive protagonist, but she channels her energy into environmental advocacy, consistently opposing Mayor Jerry (John Hamm), the antagonist who plans to construct the beltway.

Although Mabel’s erratic behavior creates many undesirable situations throughout the movie, it also makes her relatable. In a seemingly childish movie concept, I was expecting many corny jokes and puns, but found implications of dark humor that gave depth to her personality. 

In some ways, her characteristics remind me that good intentions will not necessarily yield great outcomes. Mabel becomes a beaver through questionable means to save the glade, and through this development, viewers learn lessons about friendship and being a part of something bigger than themself, an ecosystem. 

Her actions are often rash, which bothers me at times when they inevitably lead to issues, but this aspect makes for engaging and suspenseful segments as well. 

While the first half drew me in with colorful and beautifully animated scenes, the second half kept me hooked with action-focused or hard-hitting emotional bits. I particularly enjoyed how colors changed to reflect the emotions of characters and paint different atmospheres.

In tandem with heavier themes in the movie, comic relief characters like Tom Lizard (Tom Law) were an excellent addition. I definitely had a laugh at any scene involving the spamming of text-to-speech emojis, but they were balanced moments that did not dilute the themes presented. 

Overall, the message surrounding feelings of frustration and hopelessness toward environmental deterioration is one I think many people will connect with, no matter their age. In fact, my 50-something-year-old dad also found the story to be endearing and impactful.

I personally enjoyed the movie enough to wait through the entire credits scene to see if there were any bonus clips (there were!) and left the theater feeling satisfied. For anyone looking to watch a movie that is both engaging and thoughtful, “Hoppers” is definitely worth checking out.