(Photo courtesy movieposterdb.com)
Rating: A-
The animated films produced by Pixar over the last decade have revived the originality of the genre and upped the ante for other animated corporations. “Inside Out” even earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination validating its innovative plot. Less than one year later, Disney Animated Features has released “Zootopia,” a clever, multi-faceted story that could go on to earn another animated film the same honor.
Going into the movie, I only had the knowledge that the first trailer offered me. The film was going to be about an anthropomorphic society with some sort of rivalry between a bunny cop and a sly fox. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, all I will say is that it is so much more. “Zootopia” was all the beloved genres of film mixed into one– a crime-solving mystery, an underdog’s journey and an exploration of culture and morality.
Our main character is Judy Hopps, energetically voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, a rural rabbit who dreams of becoming the first ever bunny to become a police officer and live in the big city of Zootopia. Our idealistic heroine dreams of breaking barriers not just with her own career aspirations but also in Zootopia, which she describes as “a place where predators and prey live in peace and harmony.”
When Judy arrives in the big city, the camera zooms out to show all the different sized doors on her train for animals as tall as an elephant and as short as a gerbil to exit out of. To this country girl, everything is new and exciting. Hippos are entering into the train station through water channels, juice shops are launching their beverages up portals to accommodate the heights of thirsty giraffes, and superstar Gazelle (Shakira) is singing the film’s original song “Try Everything” on a Times Square-style digital billboard.
The variety of shapes and sizes found in the animal kingdom did not deter production designer David Goetz from crafting a colorful, clever and all-accommodating Zootopia, complete with ample amounts of American cultural references– both accurate and humorous.
Judy’s tiny apartment, microwave dinner and noisy neighbors make her first night a lot less glamorous than her arrival, but thoughts of her first day on the force keep her spirits up.
Her fellow members on the Zootopia Police Department are the biggest of mammals, such as elephants, rhinos and hippos. Basically, any animal the creators could sell as a stereotypical “all brawn, no brains” character in an obvious jab at the law enforcement.
Her small size and optimism do nothing to convince her police chief Bogo (Idris Elba) that she’s suitable for anything more adventurous than parking duty. However, it’s on her assignment as a meter maid that she meets Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox who scams by profession and who becomes an integral part of the story from this point on.
Judy and Nick’s rocky start blossoms into the two becoming a dynamic duo as they take on the task of trying to solve Zootopia’s multiple missing-persons cases in a 48-hour deadline. Along the way this predator and prey pair learn to follow their instincts over preconceived notions. They find adventure and friendship through many well-placed twists and turns as they uncover who the real enemy is as well as what’s truly important.
Their journey is enthralling to watch as they attempt to solve Zootopia’s biggest case: why predators are reverting to their savage instincts and disappearing. They make a hilarious pit stop at the DMV, which is comically manned by a team of sloths. They run into trouble with Mr. Big, whose entire scene is a reference to “The Godfather” (1972). They follow a clue that leads them to a naturalist cult, where to Judy’s horror, none of the animals are wearing any clothes.
The whole film takes a subtle, passive aggressive approach to offer timely lessons of inclusion and empowerment. Thanks to the mayor’s Mammal Inclusion Initiative, a bunny can be a cop if she wants to, only not really, because no one takes her seriously. Predators and prey live in harmony, except not really, because even though prey make up 90 percent of the population, the predators are still in power. Addressing bold issues like social prejudice adds an unexpected but well executed layer of depth to the film.
Disney’s charming “Zootopia” was an enjoyable adventure with wonderful characters and beautiful animation. It delivers a clever mix of mature themes and children’s humor that “everybunny” should go see.
