Zootropolis
Go! An immediate, intelligent Disney Classic.
Animals fighting crime...and prejudice!
Since the birth of Mickey Mouse in 1928, animals have always found a comfortable habitat in animated film. We could espouse about how they reflect childhood fascinations with other species or how they provide a ripe anthropomorphic platform for human reflection through imaginative characterisations, but mostly, it’s just that talking and cavorting critters are damn funny. No one knows this potential better than Disney, who return to big screen CGI animation with Zootropolis (a.k.a. Zootopia in the USA), but this time without the help of their beloved (and generally superior) Pixar Studio.
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin, Walk the Line) is a rabbit who moves from her small farming town of Bunnyborough to the big city of Zootropolis; becoming the first ever bunny police officer in the process. In Zootropolis, mammals of all species – from predators to prey – have evolved beyond their primordial instincts. Although they are said to live in perfect harmony, Judy soon discovers that there is much tension underneath the apparent equilibrium. Against the resistance of her gruff water buffalo police chief (Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), but with the reluctant help of fox con artist, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman, The Gift), she finds herself investigating the mysterious disappearance of numerous predators from the city’s streets. With the Mayor Lionheart (J. K. Simmons, Whiplash) and his sheep assistant Dawn Bellweather (Jenny Slate, Obvious Child) complicating matters politically, things begin get interesting for our furry heroine…
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin, Walk the Line) is a rabbit who moves from her small farming town of Bunnyborough to the big city of Zootropolis; becoming the first ever bunny police officer in the process. In Zootropolis, mammals of all species – from predators to prey – have evolved beyond their primordial instincts. Although they are said to live in perfect harmony, Judy soon discovers that there is much tension underneath the apparent equilibrium. Against the resistance of her gruff water buffalo police chief (Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), but with the reluctant help of fox con artist, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman, The Gift), she finds herself investigating the mysterious disappearance of numerous predators from the city’s streets. With the Mayor Lionheart (J. K. Simmons, Whiplash) and his sheep assistant Dawn Bellweather (Jenny Slate, Obvious Child) complicating matters politically, things begin get interesting for our furry heroine…
From the outset, when a tiger cub announces in a school talent show that he wants to grow up to become an actuary, it is clear that this is no ordinary cartoon. There is an incredibly sharp intelligence and light-hearted maturity to the jokes in Zootropolis that arguably make it more relevant for adults than children. The smart gags are everywhere – from puns on company names (“Lemming Brothers Bank” being a favourite) to numerous film references and in-jokes, the writers have been relentless in satirising western society. This all comes atop an incredible level of detail and thought into how an animal society might run. Delivered through pitch-perfect voice work from the ensemble cast, it offers a constant stream of joyful moments within the splendid, iridescent animation. The trailed encounter with a Department of Mammal Vehicles (DMV) sloth may be one of the best cinema moments of the year, and encounters with pop star “Gazelle” (Shakira), crime lord Mr Big and Nick’s partner-in-crime, Finnick will all result in hearty, audible laughs from anyone in the audience with at least one funny bone. Yet regardless of all that, the best aspect of Zootropolis is its underlying social critique of prejudice and stereotyping. “Huh?!”I hear you cry. Yes! Really!
With Officer Hopps representing sexual prejudice as the perceived “dumb bunny” who couldn’t possibly be a police officer, and Nick Wilde acting as the racially stereotyped sly fox who couldn’t possibly be trusted, it is a remarkably profound, pertinent and powerful modern message that radiates from the film. Against the film’s political backdrop of preying on fears and creating divisions between species, the lead characters’ joint quest has the extremely transparent aim of highlighting the ongoing battle against social issues that depress our real-life, human culture. The conclusion from Mr Big that, “We may be evolved, but deep down, we are still animals”, says it all.
With its deep and positive message; fantastic animation; cutting comedy; and intelligent, thorough invention, Zootropolis is probably the most interesting Disney-only animation for at least decade; matching or even surpassing many of Pixar’s recent efforts for maturity and gravity. So go, safe in the knowledge that you’ll enjoy it and understand it way more than the kids will. Yay for grown-ups!
With its deep and positive message; fantastic animation; cutting comedy; and intelligent, thorough invention, Zootropolis is probably the most interesting Disney-only animation for at least decade; matching or even surpassing many of Pixar’s recent efforts for maturity and gravity. So go, safe in the knowledge that you’ll enjoy it and understand it way more than the kids will. Yay for grown-ups!
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