After the formulaic The Good Dinosaur and only one non-sequel film planned until 2020, Pixar has lost its reputation as the leader in western CGI animation. Who will take its place? Perhaps you’ll be surprised to hear the answer: Disney Animation Studios. Since the excellent Frozen, they’ve delivered the hugely entertaining and surprisingly thoughtful films Wreck-it-Ralph and Big Hero 6, and now the king of them all, Zootropolis.
Known as Zootopia in some regions, Zootropolis is set in a modern world inhabited entirely by mammals. It tells the story of Judy Hopps, a go-getter rabbit who wants to become a police officer. The catch – no rabbit has ever been a cop before, and she must battle against the city’s prejudices to achieve her goal.
I won’t go on too much about how this film looks. The standard of animation is so high in these big budget films these days that looking spectacular is simply to be expected. What I care about is creativity in the animation, and there’s an abundance of that here. The attention to detail in the worldbuilding will bring a smile to your face, whether it’s used for humour or to emphasise the themes. And the themes are what I really want to get into.
Inside Out was praised for its “it’s okay to be sad” message. If the message is something you look for in a film, Zootropolis is for you. The city features animals who were traditionally prey or predator. But in the modern world they have evolved to suppress their natural predatory tendencies. However, these tendencies still exist in the form of discrimination. Powerful positions are granted to predatory animals. Rabbits are expected to farm carrots all their lives and are patronised when they aspire to do things that are perceived to be above them. And even certain predators like foxes are looked down on as sly no-gooders. The exploration of discrimination is so rich that I’m gobsmacked that Disney has made something so politically charged.
You might think that Antz already told this story – a rebel worker who wants to do something other than what was assigned to him by society. But Zootropolis goes way beyond that. Not only is this a film about giving everyone an opportunity to succeed, it’s also about not judging someone based on their race, and about society’s attitude towards discrimination in general. Sometimes it’s a little heavy handed, but other times it’s subtle, offering incisive commentaries on not only the unfairness, but also the consequences of discrimination too.
It’s this subtlety that makes it the perfect kids’ film, offering humour and subtext intended for adults. Within lies feminist messages about being patronised in the workplace, and even warnings about the wrong ways to solve society’s discrimination issue. The next time someone asks me why feminism is called feminism, I’ll just tell them to watch Zootropolis.
And it’s the way these themes are intimately connected to the story that makes Zootropolis superb. In Inside Out I felt a disconnect between the world and the story. Joy and Sadness explore the universe of Riley’s brain because they’re stuck there. They wander around from area to area like a video game. Zootropolis feels like a breathing city that’s deeply affected by the actions of our characters. The characters drive the story, which heavily impacts the world, and the themes lie in the world’s reaction.
I really wish I could go into it more but the film’s depth isn’t something that should be spoiled.
Not since The Lego Movie has there been an animated film packed with such rich ideas. My only gripe with Lego was how most of the humour was too goofy, entertaining only the little kids. Zootropolis does better, wrapping even its sillier moments up in a way that adults will see more mature elements to the comedy. And even though I’ve prattled on about the importance of the message, let me assure you that Zootropolis is still very funny and if all you’re looking for is a blast at the cinema in the form of an animated adventure, you’ll love it.
And I should probably mention that the voice cast is great. I have mixed feelings about voice acting (is it really that hard?) but Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin were brilliant, supported by the familiar voices of Idris Elba and JK Simmons.
Zootropolis is a perfect family film packed with humour to suit all ages, a living, beautifully animated world filled with memorable characters, and most importantly, a bold thematic message delivered in a way that all audiences will understand. There’s little more relevant than teaching kids that one shouldn’t judge another based on their race, gender, or upbringing. And, in reminding adults that there are right and wrong ways to address the issue. See it.
(GRADES: Both are out of 10. The left is an objective score based on its artistic merit, the right is how much I personally enjoyed it.)
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