Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ delivers a whole bunch of something
Meg Rivera
Appdate
DISNEY tried to sneak this one past us, and they very nearly succeeded too. This would have gone under the radar if it had been released about a week earlier, since a certain fourth-wall breaking superhero has been dominating the cinemas as of late. Zootopia promises nothing, but delivers a whole bunch of something when you leave.
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a small town’s big dreamer. She dreams of becoming a police officer in Zootopia, a job reserved only for those at the top of the food chain. The small town fog clears around her quickly in the big city, now that she finds herself having to work hard to keep up with her colleagues. Despite that, she gives the job nothing but 100 per cent. When the metropolis faces a crisis, Judy pairs up with the slick con artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to bring the city together and balance back to the animal kingdom.
There were some standout voices throughout the film. Ginnifer Goodwin’s performance as Judy was strong without being contrived, and vulnerable without being twee. She was a perfect leading bunny, in not so many words. Jason Bateman was a fantastic Nick Wilde, a complete turnaround from the exasperated Michael Bluth we all know him from. But hands down, the best performance came from Idris Elba, as the straight-edge police Captain Bogo. Strict and authoritative, his voice conjures up his character from Pacific Rim, so you can’t help but sit up in your chair when you first see him walk onto the screen. Now that, is what I call a voice actor.
Other characters to watch out for are Nate Torrence as the delightfully camp Officer Clawhauser and Shakira as the glamorous Gazelle, Zootopia’s idea of a pop star. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer calls in, as the loving Mrs Otterton, mother and wife.
This movie is much more than a Disney animation though. Yes, the writing is clever and the jokes are aimed more towards the adults, but there is a hint of social awareness underneath it all. You can call it a metaphor, but this film directly address issues like discrimination, race and prejudice. Far from the usual Disney fare of love and happy endings, Zootopia breaks open these topics and lays them out in a comparison that you can’t look away from. I’d like to see Dreamworks try to top that.
At the end of the day, this is still a great film to watch. Cancel that thing you were going to do this weekend, ask to borrow your niece/nephew and go see this movie. The powerhouse cast alone is a great reason to go, if the story itself hasn’t promised enough. If you’re going to take someone with you, be sure that it’s someone you can laugh out loud with, because you’ll be doing lots of that here.
