It seems as though Disney are most definitely on a winning
streak. The last few years have seen the company churn out success after
success (we’ll not mention you-know-what), and, judging by critics’ reviews and
box office turnout, this latest release is no exception. But, with all the
hype, one anticipates disappointment. And with the same teasers and trailers
screened over and over ad nauseam, one cannot help but wonder if the scenes
shown are the only ones worth showing. So, is Disney’s latest offering as ‘zootopian’
as its title suggests?
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| Zootopia, Disney, 2016 |
The film focuses on Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny
who yearns to become a police officer. Her parents, though well-meaning, are
ultimately discouraging, telling her not to set her goals too high as she is,
after all, just a bunny. She relocates to Zootopia, a city populated by all
sorts of anthropomorphised animals, and achieves her dream, only to be assigned
the task of distributing parking tickets. While on her shift, she meets con
artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox, no less. Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), an
African buffalo, punishes Judy after she abandons her shift to pursue a
criminal, but before he can fire her, Mrs Otterton pleads with the police to
locate her missing husband. Judy immediately pipes up and agrees, and
eventually identifies Wilde as her lead. What follows is essentially a
buddy-cop-comedy adventure – something that Disney have as of yet strayed from
presenting in their 50-plus animated movie canon.
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| Zootopia, Disney, 2016 |
Before I properly commence this review, I’d like to address
something that, to my knowledge, has not yet been addressed. The UK release of
this film is inexplicably titled Zootropolis.
I’m confused as to why this is, particularly since here in the UK, we don’t
actually have metropoliseseses... Moreover, Zootopia
works as a title because it’s a clever pun, and emphasises Judy’s initial
perception of the city as being a near-perfect centre of equality. Zootropolis just… doesn’t, frankly. I’m
not at all certain why they altered it but, hey, let’s not get too bogged down
by marketing strategies and talk about the film, which, I must say, is nothing
less than fantastic. Honestly, I never give such high praise unless it’s
absolutely necessary, and here it most certainly is necessary. It’s bright and colourful;
it’s fresh, quick-witted and exhilarating, and the narrative keeps you
constantly hooked throughout. I’ll admit some of the trailers were played and
replayed so much that it seemed the film was overhyped (that scene with the
sloths in the DMV springs to mind) but this film never has a dull moment. It’s
consistently funny and engaging throughout, with an added mystery aspect that
involves a twist that actually works
(yes, Frozen, once again I’m looking
at you*). The biggest surprise and appeal for me, however, was that the film’s
main focus – its child-friendly menagerie of colourful characters – bears some
rather mature and realistic undertones.
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| Zootopia, Disney, 2016 |
On the surface it might seem strange that they really
emphasise the fact that this is a Disney film all about animals – a world of
animals – and that this appears to be the feature’s main unique quality, when
by this point Disney are essentially known for little else besides
anthropomorphised characters and folk story adaptations. What does make this
film unique, however, is that it utilises that set-up to reinforce its story,
and in clever ways at that. Animals in this film are used symbolically to
delineate a moralistic and at times bitterly truthful tale of societal
prejudice. A number of people have already noted the striking, almost feminist,
undertones of sexism, particularly with regards to perceptions of women (or
bunnies, in this case) in the workplace, and in society in general. But this
film intelligently covers all grounds in terms of addressing prejudice, even if
these particular prejudices are never mentioned explicitly. Contextually, this
film arrived at just the right time, and it handles the sexism issue and gender
roles far better than the likes of Frozen
(2013)*. For a film about a city of animals, it’s altogether very ‘human’.
So, those are the film’s key positive features in a
nutshell. But what’s bad about it? Well, to be honest, not a great deal,
fortunately. If I had to nit-pick, I would complain about the Frozen* references dotted throughout the
picture. They weren’t overly distracting but they were, well, less than subtle.
And I’m not too impressed with Disney’s leaning toward the ‘celebrity voiceover’
route – that, I prefer to see as DreamWorks’ territory; Disney doesn’t need
Shakira in a guest role. Otherwise, I have no major complaints at all. Zootopia is a wholly satisfying
experience for young and old alike. It tackles some fairly heavy themes with
surprising aplomb. Indeed, Disney’s latest offering is more than just a cute
fluffy bunny.
*I’m aware I said I wouldn’t mention that film. I make no
apologies.
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