Zootopia Is Disney’s Most Relevant Movie In Decades!
I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about ‘Zootopia‘ before going to the screening. I would constantly get the commercials for the movie confused with another upcoming animal-themed film. By the time Disney Animation’s newest project finished, I was pleasantly surprised by the most culturally relevant & progressive Disney piece in years. Outshining recent films with its character & animation, Zootopia is a sure-fire winner!
The film follows Judy Hopps (Ginnfer Goodwin) as a rabbit who leaves her huge family on their small farm to join the police force in the big city of Zootopia. In this universe, animals were once savage creatures who have now come together to live in a utopia where predator and prey can live in harmony. The world is seemingly a wonderful place and Hopps wants to maintain the peace but being a cop isn’t so easy for a tiny (don’t you dare call her cute) bunny! With the world telling her “NO!”, Judy defies the odds and becomes a member of the Zootopia Police Department. Her high hopes to be impactful on the ZPD are crushed when she is placed on parking duty upon arriving. She is waiting for her chance to shine when the case of a missing otter falls right into her lap. Joined by a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy unravels a convoluted plot of corruption & prejudice. With themes like feminism, racial profiling, & abuse of power; the film has its finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the zeitgeist at the moment.
The film isn’t all serious; ‘Zootopia‘ has some of the funniest scenes I’ve seen from Disney in a long time. The DMV scene, in particular, featuring Flash The Sloth has some of the most laugh-out-loud worthy moments in the entire film. The humor is well placed and it never gets in the way of telling a story with such a strong message; something I think Disney has struggled with as of late.
I also have to take a moment to praise the wonderful animation. The world of Zootopia was stunning to see unfold! The animals were animated with such detail that one character in this film has more hair on its body than all of the characters in ‘Frozen‘ combined. It’s a massive feat for the animators at Disney that needs to be recognized. The film has many different locations featuring a desert, a rainforest, and an Arctic area; each possessing such vivd detail of their unique landscapes.
All in all, ‘Zootopia‘ will be one of the best films released by Disney…even if the general public doesn’t catch on till later. The movie is important for kids & grown-ups alike; delivering the message that you can never quit & to never let anyone tell you who to be!
You shape you own destiny…one paw at a time
