Walt Disney Animation Studios has successfully done it again.
“Zootopia,” released on March 4, was Disney’s latest animated film. It seemed to be a cute movie, but like “Frozen” and “Big Hero 6” before it, within its seemingly whimsical concept lied an excellent, brilliant, and emotional story.
The film’s eponymous city was a place where anyone can be anything, or so Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) believed when she chose to join Zootopia’s police department. But because she was the first bunny in an occupation dominated by big animals, she was assigned to become a ticket officer. When an otter went mysteriously missing, Judy embarked on a race to crack the case in 48 hours to prove herself worthy, and she had to form an unusual partnership with con artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve the mystery.
The film’s themes were full of surprises, yet also relatable. This film touched upon issues like prejudice and racism. Disney had already put together strong storylines, such as the losses of family and the struggle of being accepted. However, “Zootopia” was able to cover racism in a movie as a central theme, effectively making the movie appealing to audiences young and old.
As usual, “Zootopia” had amazing visuals. It put in a lot of efforts on details concerning animals; every character, major or minor, was in the same proportions as their real life species. The locations were also highly detailed, from the sparkling, “Frozen”-reminiscent Tundratown to the dark, wet, and scary Rainforest District.
The movie also showed many intriguing characters. Judy had a sort of innocent charm, and due to her role as a small animal being prejudiced, she was a relatable protagonist. Nick, thanks to Bateman’s performance, was a snarky, sly, and cool character. He even had some traits that made him very interesting. Judy’s boss, Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba), was a very strong character, serving as a memorable driving force for the film’s plot.
Overall, “Zootopia” boasted a powerful story, dark and relatable themes, and memorable characters. It was a great film that should be watched by all.
[star rating=”5 out of 5″]
Jimmy • May 17, 2016 at 3:28 am
THAT is why it’s doing so well around the world, people are relating to these characters. They see themselves in Judy, or even Nick, and realize that everyone is just a little bit racist in the very least. It’s amazing how stereotypes are realized by everyone, even if they’re subconscious- that scene where Judy thought Nick was going to attack her, and went into the defensive pose even after they became friends and she invited him to become a cop, PRICELESS!!