by Chaz Saldi
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS.
"Zootopia," the first animated film from Disney in 2016, ties together a timeless story with current pop culture references in a way that is both entertaining and memorable for the whole family. Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush, this movie follows Judy Hopps,(voiced by Once Upon a Time star Ginnifer Goodwin) a young bunny from Bunnyburg who wants to become a Police officer in Zootopia, the largest city in the world. While working on a case she meets Nick Wilde, a con-man fox (con-fox?) who helps her solve the big case. Along the way, the duo works together as a team playing off each other's characters in a way that mirrors a present day, non-anthropomorphic society.
Image: Disney
The storyline was compelling, and featured modern day themes such as prejudice of different kinds of mammals who had supposedly moved on from past issues.Motifs like the overarching stories of Judy wanting to become a police officer and the main case,where much of the Zootopia society expected her to be useless as a cop simply because she is a bunny, as well as the prejudices against each family of animals (predator and prey) were put to the test. Judy would become the first Bunny, a prey animal. to become a police officer. There are so many people today who can relate to this, as all too often we have been told what we can and can't do. The movie repeatedly mentions how the animals have all evolved to live in peace, but there is still tension between the two groups, a theme which is similar to a variety of current social issues, where we like to think that we live in a time of acceptance for all different kinds of people, but in actuality it's not that simple for humans either. There are a lot of other parallels to real life culture, from apps, to lexicon, to what a visit to the DMV is like, there are a number of layers that go into making this movie relatable for the viewer.
Image: Disney
The connection between Judy and Nick is great, both are really quick witted- willing to try to fool and trick each other to help reach their end goals, but also with the sense of sincerity and authenticity that we have come to expect from lead characters in a Disney animated film. Judy for instance, as the new officer in the force with a bright outlook on her new job and life in the city, she acts as an excellent opposite to Nick's initial cocky, cynical personality, which of course develops as he opens up about his past experiences to Judy and the characters are able to relate and learn from each other.
Image: Disney
With a plot full of twists and turns, as well as deeper issues and subtle jokes and puns, the story almost never seems to drag, and it should have no problem holding the interest of kids who probably aren't interested in all the layers of the film. From the beginning of the story when Judy claims as a young bunny that she wants to be a police officer when she grows up, to ultimately achieving her goals in as many ways as possible, all while capturing unexpected bad guys along the way, the story moves along at just the right pace. The story line itself also allows for enhanced character development and plot twists, such as what is really causing the savagery that eventually plagues the town's predatory animals, while connecting the characters' motives back to the idea that they can do all of the things that society tells them they can't.
The movie was full of subtle jokes and gags that are very easy to miss, from references to other Disney movies, and real life companies to pop culture modified slightly to fit into the universe. These small jokes fleshed out the world a bit and sort of gave it a real feeling of being a real city. The nods to pop culture references are very easy to miss if you're not up on your current entertainment, and while they do not make or break the film, many definitely served as valid creative touches, and they especially added a little something extra for adults who might not be interested in watching what they initially view as a kids' movie. While these references are funny now, they could seem a bit dated in a few years, a problem that typically plagues films with numerous pop culture references, however I do not think "Zootopia" will ever become completely irrelevant as a result.
Image: Disney
The animation quality was very high, like all of Disneys recent releases. Things like hair and fur take a long time and effort to animate and render, and it shows that Disney Animation Studios is really using the state of the art technology available to make everything look great. In addition to the intense quality of animation seen among the characters, the landscapes were stunning, particularly through all of the different counties and sections of Zootopia, that exhibited entirely different weather patterns from each other. Even standard landscapes such as the Hopps family farm really came through as being of a high quality of animation that one would expect for such a movie produced by Disney.
Overall, we highly recommend "Zootopia," as it really does cater to adults as well as kids, despite the general market of animated movies being geared towards children. While the pop culture references will likely only make sense to adults, the themes that mirror issues of present day society allow the film to really get adults to think about things like prejudice and stereotyping in a way that is free from any particular situation, and in a way that's easier to understand and discuss such issues as a family. As Nick and Judy both divulge in the film, most people have gone through some kind of experience where some other members of society has made them feel worthless, and like they are unable to do something they have their hearts set on accomplishing. While Zootopia tackles this more general issue in the form of predator vs. prey anthropomorphic animals, these issues could just have easily been put on display based on current prejudices such as racial or gender inequality. With deeper layers for adults to grasp during the movie, kids are sure to love the playful quality of the plot and characters, as well as some puns and smaller jokes that are sure to entertain the entire family.
We give "Zootopia" a 90% score, and we can't wait to read more about what others have to say about it, and meet some of the characters in the parks soon!
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