It’s been a while since a Disney Animated Classic used animals as the main characters, with 2008’s Bolt being the last one to do so until 2016’s Zootropolis. Were animals out of fashion for a while? Did Disney not think kids wanted to see animated films with animals in? Then again the more I think about it the less I can think of modern animated films with animals as the main characters. Regardless, I’m going off on a ramble. Whilst Zootropolis may look cuddly and cutesy thanks to the use of animals, make no mistake that what’s stored within is actually one of Disney’s most complex and progressive films in recent memory.
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a rabbit who was raised in rural Bunnyburrow by a family of carrot farmers. Judy has big dreams of being a police officer in the nearby city of Zootropolis, a dream that she is frequently told isn’t possible because she’s a rabbit. But once Judy graduates from police academy she soon finds out that her dreams of a Zootropolis where all animals were equal and respected each other is far from reality. When Judy takes on a case to find a number of missing animals, she must seek help from street hustler Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox who much like Judy faces and holds his own prejudices about the various animal races living in Zootropolis.
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a rabbit who was raised in rural Bunnyburrow by a family of carrot farmers. Judy has big dreams of being a police officer in the nearby city of Zootropolis, a dream that she is frequently told isn’t possible because she’s a rabbit. But once Judy graduates from police academy she soon finds out that her dreams of a Zootropolis where all animals were equal and respected each other is far from reality. When Judy takes on a case to find a number of missing animals, she must seek help from street hustler Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a fox who much like Judy faces and holds his own prejudices about the various animal races living in Zootropolis.
I’m going to come right out and say that Zootropolis is probably the boldest film Disney Animation Studios have made to date due to the studio tackling racism and discrimination head on and making it an integral part of the story. Right from the outset it’s clearly communicated that predators used to hunt prey for food, but now they all live ‘harmoniously’, so then when the plot involves some predators reverting back to their more animalistic roots and a social paranoia is fostered towards predators…safe to say it gets pretty heavy very quickly. Subtle touches like Judy carrying a bottle of fox repellent with her wherever she goes really make Zootropolis something special that’s just as educational as it is entertaining.
The way dialogue is constructed and how it flows to highlight how you should and should not talk to people of different race is crazy good, and is an excellent example of how to easily accommodate for all kinds of people in the real world, or identify when something is problematic.
Judy is a fantastic lead character, a rabbit who is constantly trying to combat her own socially conditioned prejudices whilst simultaneously trying to push back against the ones that are placed upon her. As a rabbit she is seen as a joke to her colleagues because she isn’t powerful or threatening enough to handle real cases, so she’s put on traffic control. Nick is also excellent, a fox who sees what the world labels him as (untrustworthy and a nuisance) and so plays into that perception because he’s given up on trying to prove otherwise. Both Goodwin & Bateman provide great vocal performances and have good chemistry together, something that’s often difficult to pull off in animated films because actors are rarely in the same recording booth as each other.
The way dialogue is constructed and how it flows to highlight how you should and should not talk to people of different race is crazy good, and is an excellent example of how to easily accommodate for all kinds of people in the real world, or identify when something is problematic.
Judy is a fantastic lead character, a rabbit who is constantly trying to combat her own socially conditioned prejudices whilst simultaneously trying to push back against the ones that are placed upon her. As a rabbit she is seen as a joke to her colleagues because she isn’t powerful or threatening enough to handle real cases, so she’s put on traffic control. Nick is also excellent, a fox who sees what the world labels him as (untrustworthy and a nuisance) and so plays into that perception because he’s given up on trying to prove otherwise. Both Goodwin & Bateman provide great vocal performances and have good chemistry together, something that’s often difficult to pull off in animated films because actors are rarely in the same recording booth as each other.
Zootropolis looks incredible too. Disney certainly started doing some great things with their 3D computer animation in Frozen and Big Hero 6, but Zootropolis tops all of them and put them out in front of the animation race once again, bettering even Pixar in terms of how good this film looks.
Being a film about animals, there’s a lot of fur. Fur is notoriously difficult to animate because it there’s a lot of it and it needs to be lit and move realistically. But Zootropolis manages it really well. It’s extremely noticeable on Judy where as she is a short haired animal you can clearly see individual strands of hair on her body; and with a character like Nick with longer fur you can see how it reacts to movement and light very realistically. Of course, there’s not just fur, environments and non-hairy animals are just as highly detailed. Elephants have unique wrinkle patterns on their leathery skin, and objects in the world look incredible, and of course we see the return of Disney’s fantastic particle effects. The lighting effects are also given a huge boost in this film with more natural looking lighting than ever before, with a wider range of hues and some crazy good reflection & flare effects on reflective surfaces.
Is this Disney at their most ‘woke’? To many that’s certainly a possibility, what with this film actively trying to foster a more inclusive environment for cultural diversity and outright shaming people for using derogatory terms and holding unwarranted prejudices. But Zootropolis is a shining example of Disney Animation’s commitment to moving the studio forward with the times in which we live. It’s a film that kids will love thanks to the engaging and well written story (with a final act twist that’s sure to knock you flat), and it’s a film that adults will love thanks to its more mature themes and extremely high production value.
Zootropolis is without a doubt a must watch and continues the studios upwards trajectory throughout the Revival Era.
Being a film about animals, there’s a lot of fur. Fur is notoriously difficult to animate because it there’s a lot of it and it needs to be lit and move realistically. But Zootropolis manages it really well. It’s extremely noticeable on Judy where as she is a short haired animal you can clearly see individual strands of hair on her body; and with a character like Nick with longer fur you can see how it reacts to movement and light very realistically. Of course, there’s not just fur, environments and non-hairy animals are just as highly detailed. Elephants have unique wrinkle patterns on their leathery skin, and objects in the world look incredible, and of course we see the return of Disney’s fantastic particle effects. The lighting effects are also given a huge boost in this film with more natural looking lighting than ever before, with a wider range of hues and some crazy good reflection & flare effects on reflective surfaces.
Is this Disney at their most ‘woke’? To many that’s certainly a possibility, what with this film actively trying to foster a more inclusive environment for cultural diversity and outright shaming people for using derogatory terms and holding unwarranted prejudices. But Zootropolis is a shining example of Disney Animation’s commitment to moving the studio forward with the times in which we live. It’s a film that kids will love thanks to the engaging and well written story (with a final act twist that’s sure to knock you flat), and it’s a film that adults will love thanks to its more mature themes and extremely high production value.
Zootropolis is without a doubt a must watch and continues the studios upwards trajectory throughout the Revival Era.