Title: Zootopia
Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush
Screenplay by: Jared Bush and Phil Johnson
Year: 2016
Zootopia seems to be a film that crept up on everyone. The initial teaser was quaintly comedic, but did not really leave a lasting impact. Then the official trailer was released and reminded everyone that this was coming out. The trailer promised another quality Disney picture, even if it did not evoke the Disney vibe. Is Zootopia the next great Disney film, or should it be caged and contained?
Zootopia is a city where mammals of all kinds can live in peace with each other. Judy Hopps is the first bunny to be accepted into the police force and is put on parking duty within the city. After several mammals go missing, Judy decides to take up the case, with the unwilling help of a fox named Nick Wilde. Together, the two try to solve the mystery and soon find out that this is bigger than they thought.
Zootopia features an extremely talented voice cast. Ginnifer Goodwin is the voice of Judy Hopps and she throws herself into the character. She fills Judy with the determination and compassion the character calls for. Not to mention that Goodwin absolutely nails the rapid-speaking moments. But Jason Bateman steals the show as Nick Wilde the fox. His comedic timing and delivery is as close to perfect as possible and he really brings the character to life. Idris Elba is the police chief and you can tell he is having a lot of fun playing this character. It is the typical tough and stern cop, but the film knows how to have fun with the concept. Nate Torrence is delightful as Clawhauser and J.K. Simmons manages to get some very good lines in as the mayor despite the character's limited screen time.
As hinted earlier, Zootopia does not feel like a Disney film, which is not a good or a bad thing. The animation style is not identifiable with Disney and even the story seems very different from what the company is known for. The film's plot legitimately surprised me. I was not expecting an engaging mystery with a bit of a film noir tone in some segments. This is such a refreshing change of course for Disney and helps Zootopia stand out amongst the production company's vast library of films. The mystery is very intriguing and keeps you along for the ride until the end where we get a very well handled reveal. I cannot get over the fact that amidst all the cute and furry animals this is an investigation film.
Speaking of furry, this is reportedly one of Disney's most demanding animated films, as the designers had to create a different set of hair for each mammal. The effort shows because Zootopia is a marvelous looking film. The animation is not only fluid, but also sports the speed needed for some very good slapstick and expressions. The city of Zootopia is separated into several different environments or biomes. There is Tundratown, Little Rodentia, the Rainforest District, and more. One of the highlights of the film is when Judy boards the train and gets to travel through each of the environments because the film showcases how brilliant the animation is.
The movie also presents some very heavy themes. A good portion of the film deals with the idea of prejudice and how it can hurt or alienate others. This is a good message and it comes across very well. Given the vast array of animals in the film, the theme feels relevant and is expressed clearly. It never feels like the film is shoving the moral of the story in the viewer's face. Zootopia is deceptively mature. No kidding, an argument could be made the funniest parts in the film will go completely over kids' heads. There is a naturalist club, drug humor, and plenty of other witty adult jokes.
While I am on the topic, Zootopia is a very funny movie. There is a great variety of jokes that range between slapstick, witty quips, social commentary, and clever pop culture references. There is a great Godfather sequence that had me in stitches, the DMV scene is even funnier in the actual film, and the very best joke is saved for last. It caught everyone off guard and I will leave it at that.
The music by Michael Giacchino is very fitting and beautiful as always. Shakira, who plays a celebrity in the film, provides the movie with a song of her own. "Try Everything" is such a perfect song for this film. It is catchy, the lyrics are relevant, and it just fits the tone of the film like a glove.
As far as negatives go, there are almost none. The only one that really sticks out to me is a cliché conflict that arises between our two main characters. It serves the moral well but it is the resolution that I have an issue with. The problem is solved so darn quickly that if you blink you might miss it. Aside from that, I feel the film is perfectly paced and each act flows into the next with great ease.
Grade: A
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