“Hitpig”

“Hitpig” is an animated adventure comedy that swings for the fences in terms of ambition, but its execution is a bit of a mixed bag. Based on Berkeley Breathed’s children’s book “Pete & Pickles,” the PG-rated film aims for a quirky blend of darker, adult-leaning animation, making it suitable (and most appealing) for older kids rather than younger kiddos. Unfortunately, the clash of mature aesthetics and a Saturday morning cartoon tone leads to a confusing mish-mash that doesn’t quite find its balance, but there’s still enough creativity here to mildly recommend.

Clever bounty hunting porker Hitpig (voice of Jason Sudeikis) is great at his job: catching escaped animals and returning them to their owners and homes. He’s offered one of his biggest jobs ever from the delirious and demented Vegas entertainer Leapin’ Lord of the Leotard (voice of Rainn Wilson) after his dancing elephant Pickles (voice of Lilly Singh) goes missing. The gig is worth $1 million, and it sends Hitpig on a whirlwind adventure around the world. Along the way, he realizes that he can’t continue to do this alone. It’s only then that Hitpig finds new meaning and new friends, learning what’s truly important in life.

It’s a basic story with a nice message, and the animation is high quality. There’s a certain unpolished quality that defines the look, making it similar to something you’d find in more adult animation than something aimed at preschoolers. This edgy, almost dystopian atmosphere doesn’t align so well with the whimsical, kid-friendly tone the movie also tries to maintain. It creates a sense of visual whiplash, as the film often feels like it belongs in two different worlds.

The cast is another source of unevenness. Sudeikis and Wilson each bring their A-game, elevating their characters with comedic timing and a touch of sincerity. But on the flip side, performances like RuPaul’s flatulent Polecat are mediocre, and Anitta’s voice work as Letícia dos Anjos stands out as particularly weak, dragging down key moments. This inconsistency hampered most of the emotional connection that I wanted to feel toward the characters.

The writing is rough, too. The dialogue is peppered with dated 90s slang (including phrases like “exsqueeze me?”), which feels out of place and cringe worthy in a modern context. These odd inclusions, combined with some lowbrow humor (hello, over-reliance on fart jokes!) dumb down the story. It’s a shame because the unique plot of a bounty hunter pig bonding with a free-spirited elephant has a lot of heart and could have been much more compelling with better writing.

That said, the film stands out for being refreshingly different in a world of increasingly recycled animated content. Its originality and daring choices, even when they miss the mark, make it a film worth noticing. The film takes risks (some pay off, others don’t), but there’s something to be admired in its bold refusal to play it safe. The world of animation could use more audacious attempts like this, even if they don’t always work.

In the end, “Hitpig” is a weird, uneven, and occasionally charming that leaves you conflicted. While its fresh premise and high-quality animation shine, the mismatched tone and scattered voice performances detract from its potential. It’s different, yes, but it might just be a bit too different for its own good.