REVIEW: Zootopia (2016)

"We may be evolved, but deep down we are still animals."

The first thing to understand, is just how much of a miracle this film is. It was announced mid-Frozen fever, at 2013's D23 expo. It was completely out-shadowed by an enormous slate of upcoming animated and live action productions; The Force Awakens, Tomorrowland, Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Cinderella. All of which offered a concept or premise that seemed relatively more interesting than another anthropomorphic animal film. Nobody really gave a shit about 'Zootopia'. Then the cast was announced. Then we learned that the film was bringing together next gen Disney directors Byron Howard (Tangled), Rich Moore (Wreck it Ralph) and Jared Bush (Penn-Zero: Part Time Hero). Then, there were rumblings that Zootopia might actually be fairly good. Could it be great?

Premise is as follows; In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

I'm surprised to say, 'Zootopia' is the best animated thing Disney's touched since 2013. Bold, I know. I was never on board with the Inside Out hype train, and as much as I liked Big Hero 6, I felt it never fully delivered on the concepts it promised to present (The Good Dinosaur doesn't even deserve to be in contention).

The design of the world in 'Zootopia' is genius. They know it too, with sequences that absolutely scream "LOOK AT THIS SHIT". Quite rightfully, the visual establishment of the city's ecosystem is really showy. It deserves to be. As in Earth, Zootopia's anthropomorphic critters and predators need different conditions to survive. They achieve this by segregating the world into a theme-park of manually controlled atmospheres.

This isn't something I'd even thought of... because I'm an idiot.

However, the nine people who are credited with writing this film are not. The first two acts of the film are sensational. Despite presenting us with protagonists that aren't necessarily ground-breaking in their characterisation, 'Nick Wilde' (Fox) and 'Judy Hopps' (Bunny) are so well realised that it almost doesn't matter. They're a stellar example of a craft perfected, to the degree where they're not having to try to re-invent the wheel.

The designs of the characters and the worlds are classically Disney, whilst the actual narrative feels more aligned to the stuff Dreamworks has been playing around with over the last few years. However, the humour is 'edgy' enough, whilst still avoiding the cynicism that separates the two companies.

The voice-work in Zootopia is top-notch. Jason Bateman adds a street-sensibility to Nick Wilde that nobody else could, and the under-rated Ginnifer Goodwin actually sounds like a human bunny. Surprisingly, I found Idris Elba's turn as 'Chief Bogo' to be one of the weaker points. Just a little overly gruff... and, yes, we get an unnecessary Disney track from Shakira. It's instantly forgettable .

The film takes a dive in the third act, making some extremely predictable and convenient choices. This is a Disney film made for children. I was a child once, so I'm going to set that aside and not be a pretentious asshole.

HIGHLIGHTS

- OPENING

- WITTY DIALOGUE W/ HOPPS AND NICK WILDE

- VOICE WORK

- GODFATHER SCENE

- THE DESIGNS

- ALMOST TOO-SUBTLE DISNEY REFERENCES

CONS

- IDRIS ELBA

- UNNECESSARILY FORCED DISNEY TRACK

- "IT'S A HUSTLE SWEETHEART"

- THIRD ACT WAS PREDICTABLE AND CONVENIENT.

4/5

Are you guys going to see Zootopia this weekend? Email us at paperclipnews@gmail.com and let us know what you thought!