Zootopia (B+) Movie Review
Zootopia stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, the first rabbit police officer. Although being one of the best officers on the force, she's assigned to parking duty. However, everything changes when a case of disappearing mammals pops up and Judy eagerly volunteers. She's got 48 hours and must enlist the help of a sneaky con artist fox named Nick, played by Jason Bateman.
It isn't enough that Zootopia has something on its mind; the issue of generalizing, stereotyping, and diversity are tackled constantly. Zootopia successfully balances sharp social satire with a vibrant adventure. This is a rare breed of animated film, many of which don't even clear the intelligence check.
The politics of the film are pointed and poignant, highlighting the oh-so relevant diversity issues our society faces. Filmmakers Bryon Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush challenge the issues with such optimism, enthusiasm, creativity, and intelligence, making the film a sincerely delightful watch. Foxes aren't all out to get you, rabbits are capable of being police officers, and it's only okay to call a rabbit "cute" if you're another rabbit.
And parents, rest assured, Zootopia will satisfy you too. The film has its fair share of genuine laughs, well-hidden pop culture references (there is a stellar Breaking Bad reference in here), and a joke or two that will definitely go over your kid's head. And kids, rest assured, there are jokes here for you too that aren't about defecating or urinating! There's a sloth bit in the middle of the film that had the entire theater cracking up.
The voice cast anchoring Zootopia is excellent. Jason Bateman turns in a strong performance as a gleefully mischievous fox, capturing the multi-faceted character well. Ginnifer Goodwin gives an engaging, goofy voice to Judy Hopps. And the rest of the ensemble successfully molds their own character with just their voice, from Idris Elba as the run-of-the-mill, unenthused cop Chief Bogo, to J.K. Simmons as Mayor Lionheart, who may be as sly as Nick or may just be childishly unaware. I always find Jenny Slate hilarious and I found her character Bellwether to be equally as charming.
As baffling as the film's intelligence, the animation is stunningly intricate. Everything moves fluidly, there's some very realistic water (I was struck immediately by that in the theater), but the true triumph of it all is that a visually imaginative, complex world was created before our eyes. The Zootopia city itself is so densely detailed that it could take subsequent viewings of the film to catch everything.
The film can occasionally fall victim to the overly familiar plot structure of other genre films. Everything happens in an expected order, save a few plot twists. Still, the script is pretty easy to fully get behind, as it successfully juggles so many things at once, and it does it with a supreme intelligence.
I'd genuinely be surprised if we don't see Zootopia at the 2017 Academy Awards. This is a giddily complex film in terms of themes and messages, but rife with thrilling adventure so as to please any viewer. Zootopia is what a modern animated film should be.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG for thematic elements, rude humor and action
It isn't enough that Zootopia has something on its mind; the issue of generalizing, stereotyping, and diversity are tackled constantly. Zootopia successfully balances sharp social satire with a vibrant adventure. This is a rare breed of animated film, many of which don't even clear the intelligence check.
The politics of the film are pointed and poignant, highlighting the oh-so relevant diversity issues our society faces. Filmmakers Bryon Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush challenge the issues with such optimism, enthusiasm, creativity, and intelligence, making the film a sincerely delightful watch. Foxes aren't all out to get you, rabbits are capable of being police officers, and it's only okay to call a rabbit "cute" if you're another rabbit.
And parents, rest assured, Zootopia will satisfy you too. The film has its fair share of genuine laughs, well-hidden pop culture references (there is a stellar Breaking Bad reference in here), and a joke or two that will definitely go over your kid's head. And kids, rest assured, there are jokes here for you too that aren't about defecating or urinating! There's a sloth bit in the middle of the film that had the entire theater cracking up.
The voice cast anchoring Zootopia is excellent. Jason Bateman turns in a strong performance as a gleefully mischievous fox, capturing the multi-faceted character well. Ginnifer Goodwin gives an engaging, goofy voice to Judy Hopps. And the rest of the ensemble successfully molds their own character with just their voice, from Idris Elba as the run-of-the-mill, unenthused cop Chief Bogo, to J.K. Simmons as Mayor Lionheart, who may be as sly as Nick or may just be childishly unaware. I always find Jenny Slate hilarious and I found her character Bellwether to be equally as charming.
As baffling as the film's intelligence, the animation is stunningly intricate. Everything moves fluidly, there's some very realistic water (I was struck immediately by that in the theater), but the true triumph of it all is that a visually imaginative, complex world was created before our eyes. The Zootopia city itself is so densely detailed that it could take subsequent viewings of the film to catch everything.
The film can occasionally fall victim to the overly familiar plot structure of other genre films. Everything happens in an expected order, save a few plot twists. Still, the script is pretty easy to fully get behind, as it successfully juggles so many things at once, and it does it with a supreme intelligence.
I'd genuinely be surprised if we don't see Zootopia at the 2017 Academy Awards. This is a giddily complex film in terms of themes and messages, but rife with thrilling adventure so as to please any viewer. Zootopia is what a modern animated film should be.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG for thematic elements, rude humor and action