Hopper et le hamster des ténèbres

The movie in English is fine and quite funny but don't watch the German version. Keep out of it skunk"ö becomes I don't give a sh** in German. Any many other inappropriate lines in this movie. No idea who supervised this. Watch original version only and your kids will enjoy it.

I sat down with my 12 year old son to watch the 2022 animated movie "Hopper Et Le Hamster Des Ténèbres" (aka "Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness"). I must admit that I wasn't really harboring much of any expectations for the movie, but of course opted to give it a fair chance.

And I will admit that writer David Collard, along with directors Ben Stassen and Benjamin Mousquet, definitely managed to put together a very wholesome and genuinely entertaining storyline. It is one that has something for both adults and children alike. And I was pleasantly surprised with it, I have to say that.

"Hopper Et Le Hamster Des Ténèbres" is clearly inspired by "Indiana Jones", and it shows and also sounds; from Chickenhare's outfit, the music throughout the course of the story, the grand adventure and the general atmosphere of the whole thing. And guess what, it works. Oh yeah, it works.

The animation was good, smooth and very life-like, which definitely added something good to the overall movie. And the art style was good, especially since it brought the characters to life in a very good way and gave the characters unique traits and such. Lots of great details in the scenes.

The movie has some very memorable and outstanding characters, both the protagonists and antagonists. I definitely liked the character gallery in "Hopper Et Le Hamster Des Ténèbres".

I was genuinely entertained by "Hopper Et Le Hamster Des Ténèbres", and it is an animated movie that I can and will warmly recommend you sit down to watch. Well-worth taking the time to sit down and enjoy.

My rating of "Hopper Et Le Hamster Des Ténèbres" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

IN A NUTSHELL: This colorful animation is based on a comic book series by Chris Grine. The story is about a brave young animal explorer who teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it. Eager to fit in and feel loved in spite of his differences, he is obsessed with adventuring in spite of his clumsiness. The film is directed by Ben Stassen and Benjamin Mousquet. The screenplay was written by David Collard.

I have 4 sons. One of them was obsessed with hamsters so, of course, we had plenty of hamsters over the years. He would have really enjoyed this movie when he was a little kid.

THINGS I LIKED: The animation is delightfully detailed and colorful. And the textures of things like wood and water are so impressive.

The voice talents include Jordan Tartakow (Chickenhare), Joe Ochman (Abe), Danny Fehsenfeld (Lapin), Mark Irons (Piggies), and Donte Paris.

The design of Abe the turtle, the royal servant, is totally adorable. I loved the entertaining touch of his constantly-changing hats. I had pet turtles for 25 years, so I guess I'm a little biased, but Abe had most of the funny lines too.

Inspired heavily by Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, there are many scenes that are almost duplicated with a respectful nod to the classic. At one point, the turtle servant quips, "Darn tropes!" ha ha Adults will recognize some of the music inspired by other movies too. The Easter eggs come from movies like Moana, Angry Bird, Lion King, and even Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back!

Plenty of humor, both spoken and visual.

The animation design of the pig soldiers was ridiculously cute and original.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Not all of the voices seemed to match the characters.

A lot of the humor is geared towards adults. Many of the jokes, references, and vocabulary will go way over the heads of young kids.

I was hoping the hamsters were going to be cuter and more epic.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Bullying Animated violence in a bar scene and other locations Characters in perilous situations It's a kid's movie so, yeah, there is farting (from a skunk) No profanity. Instead, we hear words like "darn".

This movie is family-friendly for all ages.

THEMES: Self-identity and finding out what makes you special Confidence in one's self Courage Family Friendship Working together Using one's unique talents.

The animation is very well done, it's funny, the characters are charming and the plot is very interesting. It's a fun movie for the whole family to watch.

The movie never takes itself too serious on its premise, and it knows its not a pixar or ghibli film, but it brings an adventure packed story with stellar animation that keeps you engaged from start to end.

The characters are lovable the acting is phenomenal and the story is very solid.

It does rely on many of the ussual tropes and while I DESPISE fart jokes , in this case they managed to bring it in at a level I can withstand and even take as vital part of one of the characters back stories and an essential part of their character.

Overall this is not going to move you like Disney or Pixar but it is an extremely fun adventure story that will leave you wanting for more.

Heres to hoping for Chicken Hare II.