Well I'm going to ring the same chime as everyone else. Zootopia is great!
That's the understatement of the year.
It left me pleasantly surprised, despite various plot points getting spoiled via overexposure on the internet. Even if I didn't want to look at Zootopia it would find its way into other mediums.
It's very difficult to talk about modern animated films. At least from a technical point, it's almost impossible to say that anything looks bad anymore. And Zootopia shouldn't look bad costing 150 million dollars. It seems almost impossible to comprehend that much money, that is until you see the credit scene that last eight minutes. Then you see immediately with the money went, in fact to become so overwhelming I'm starting to think 'was 150 million enough?'
You know they have the same Budget as Frozen.
Which got me to look at racial issues differently within film. Up until this point I had always maintained that if you're going to tackle a racial problem you should do so directly and to the point. Why have Romulans when Russians will do.
Zootopia is able to show you the bigotry and fear associated with racism without getting you connected to real life event. There are benefits to this.
It means you don't get 'political ideologies' or sided into a spectrum to involve you in the situation. (Right now this is a particularly pressing issue.)
Instead letting you witness the issue for what it is. To let you have a personal involvement with the problem, and really have a understanding of how it affects the ordinary lives of those around you (or in this case those around the animals.) It also deals with casual racism. With your more mundane issues such as General stereotypes of thinking that a particular person acts or thinks a certain way due to their ethnic background.
Best of all, it doesn't become overly preachy. The conflict does not absorb the entire film. It's merely a foundational set-piece to set up a story.
Are there any problems with the film? 'Yes ''but very minoot and indifferent.''
A couple of the major cameos in the film can take you out of the movie. Like Tommy Chong who plays a yak. His voice acting isn't bad, his role is funny. But I can't divorce the voice of Tommy Chong from his character. No matter how hard I try I always end up seeing Chong the actor.
Admittedly that may only be a personal nitpick.
You can tell that the mayor is played by J.K. Simmons** as well, but it doesn't come off quite as bad. He's able to add a slight tone to his voice that at least links up with he's characte. Then there's Idris Elba who played Captain Bogo, he was absolutely fantastic, he didn't take me out of the movie one bit. I'd love to see a story with him. Have it be a short story. I don't know if he could support an entire movie.
Really that's what I wish a lot of these newer animated film would do. Not make sequel movies but make small short stories involving the world, something that lasts 5 to 10 minutes.
That's the understatement of the year.
It left me pleasantly surprised, despite various plot points getting spoiled via overexposure on the internet. Even if I didn't want to look at Zootopia it would find its way into other mediums.
It's very difficult to talk about modern animated films. At least from a technical point, it's almost impossible to say that anything looks bad anymore. And Zootopia shouldn't look bad costing 150 million dollars. It seems almost impossible to comprehend that much money, that is until you see the credit scene that last eight minutes. Then you see immediately with the money went, in fact to become so overwhelming I'm starting to think 'was 150 million enough?'
You know they have the same Budget as Frozen.
It looks so much better than Frozen, now I know part of that's just environment, scope and a couple years in evolved animation that make Zootopia look nicer on a simalor budget. but despite all that Zootopia just feels more alive. Frozen had a very flat solid look to it, everything was one splashed colour. Only one scene jumped out to me as overly impressive. That's the character Elsa creating her snow castle in the middle of nowhere, similar to Doctor Manhattan from those Watchmen comic.
While zootopia had an overall pleasing aesthetic, especially in the form of their City. A kind of art deco \ new aged Italian architecture.
Couple that with an incredibly varied, well animated cast and you have a fine movie.
With one of the best environments ever made. A part of me would love to see more sequels to this, and explore different angles of the world from different characters, especially given all the Colourfull, varied environments.
(Wouldn't read Beyond this point if you haven't seen Zootopia.)
And then there's the underlined racism within the film between the predator and prey ''races''. With a force created conflict. (within the film. The movie-design does not come off as having forced conflict.)
Couple that with an incredibly varied, well animated cast and you have a fine movie.
With one of the best environments ever made. A part of me would love to see more sequels to this, and explore different angles of the world from different characters, especially given all the Colourfull, varied environments.
(Wouldn't read Beyond this point if you haven't seen Zootopia.)
And then there's the underlined racism within the film between the predator and prey ''races''. With a force created conflict. (within the film. The movie-design does not come off as having forced conflict.)
Which got me to look at racial issues differently within film. Up until this point I had always maintained that if you're going to tackle a racial problem you should do so directly and to the point. Why have Romulans when Russians will do.
Zootopia is able to show you the bigotry and fear associated with racism without getting you connected to real life event. There are benefits to this.
It means you don't get 'political ideologies' or sided into a spectrum to involve you in the situation. (Right now this is a particularly pressing issue.)
Instead letting you witness the issue for what it is. To let you have a personal involvement with the problem, and really have a understanding of how it affects the ordinary lives of those around you (or in this case those around the animals.) It also deals with casual racism. With your more mundane issues such as General stereotypes of thinking that a particular person acts or thinks a certain way due to their ethnic background.
And it deals with each levels of racism: Offensive, Inconvenience and Dangerous.
Offensive: One of the animals refers to Officer Hopps as 'cute.' which in their world is seen as kind of a racial slang, The bunny seem happy enough to use it with each other but uncomfortable at the idea of others using it.
Offensive: One of the animals refers to Officer Hopps as 'cute.' which in their world is seen as kind of a racial slang, The bunny seem happy enough to use it with each other but uncomfortable at the idea of others using it.
Inconvenience: The overweight cheetah at the front desk has been transferred to a different division because of his ''predatory'' status.
Dangerous: The predatory animals are manipulated and imprisoned for being perceived as ''threatening to all other life''. By a 'prey' animal for there own power.
One of the main characters a tiny little mouse by the name of Mr.Big*. He's a mafia Don and perceived ruler of the underworld. Who's guarded and employees a vast number of oversized polar bears. It got me thinking if the ''assistant-mayor's'' plans had gone as planed, eventually all the Predator animals would have been incarcerated. Thus removing any power and security the little 'Arctic Shrew' controlled.
Organized crime would have been destroyed in Zootopia by a fascistic form of manipulation. There's something to think about.
Best of all, it doesn't become overly preachy. The conflict does not absorb the entire film. It's merely a foundational set-piece to set up a story.
Are there any problems with the film? 'Yes ''but very minoot and indifferent.''
A couple of the major cameos in the film can take you out of the movie. Like Tommy Chong who plays a yak. His voice acting isn't bad, his role is funny. But I can't divorce the voice of Tommy Chong from his character. No matter how hard I try I always end up seeing Chong the actor.
Admittedly that may only be a personal nitpick.
You can tell that the mayor is played by J.K. Simmons** as well, but it doesn't come off quite as bad. He's able to add a slight tone to his voice that at least links up with he's characte. Then there's Idris Elba who played Captain Bogo, he was absolutely fantastic, he didn't take me out of the movie one bit. I'd love to see a story with him. Have it be a short story. I don't know if he could support an entire movie.
Really that's what I wish a lot of these newer animated film would do. Not make sequel movies but make small short stories involving the world, something that lasts 5 to 10 minutes.
*So it's pretty adequate that Mr.Big is religious. One of his Polar Bear goons even makes the sign of the cross in the Roman Catholic fashion. This got me thinking. In the world of zootopia is there a tiny animal Vatican? And if so who is their representative Pope?
Is he too a small mouse? Or does it change with the times? Now there is a small story I'd love to see: ''Zootopia: The Papal State years.''
**Admittedly I've always had a bit of a weak spot for J.K. Simmons. I enjoyed his role in Law and Order and 'Jay Jonah Jameson' though that should go without saying.
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