One of the most complex and sophisticated animated features I have seen, Zootopia pits a high achiever rabbit alongside its natural predator, a cool and wily fox. The studio has a long and storied legacy of talking animals – from Mickey Mouse’s debut short, Steamboat Willie to Bambi, Dumbo, The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
The starting point was asking what would a mammal metropolis look like if animals designed it? Comprised of neighborhoods that celebrate different cultures, Zootopia is a city like no other. There’s ritzy Sahara Square for desert animals, Tundratown for the polar bears and moose, the hot and humid Rain Forest District, Little Rodentia for the smallest mammals and Bunnyburrow for the millions of bunnies. The downtown area, Savanna Central, is a melting pot where a wide array of creatures from every environment come together. Zootopia is a place where no matter what you are – from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew – you are told you can be anything.
From a tender age, Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the rabbit at the centre of the story has aspired to be the first police hare and despite the obviously obstacles concerning size and strength, she perseveres. Indeed, she becomes rookie officer Judy Hopps and, much to her chagrin, is assigned parking duty. She quickly discovers that being the first bunny on a police force full of big, tough animals – such as like rhinos, elephants and hippos – isn’t so easy. Remaining determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) – a fast-talking, scam artist fox – to solve a mystery. So, Zootopia is a buddy movie in which opposites attract, although certainly not initially.
One of the directors, Rich Moore, says Hopps and Wilde enter the relationship with ideas about each other that aren’t informed or accurate. The fact that the “mates” don’t get along fuels the film’s comedy. She is the eternal optimist, whereas he is the complete opposite, a con man and cynic. The filmmakers took a country bumpkin full of vim and vigour into the middle of the big smoke alongside a realist. As Moore puts it, “he gets to have a lot of fun messing with her, but she has a few tricks up her sleeve. “Judy is the eternal optimist who believes anyone can be anything – it’s the city’s motto, after all,” says Moore.
Filmmakers conceived and built the vast and detailed world of Zootopia, populating it with 64 different species that retain the core elements of what makes each animal so special. But these mammals talk and wear pants. It began with the team spending 18 months just researching the animals.
The voice talent includes Ginnifer Goodwin (Walk the Line) as the rookie cop and Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) as the fox.
Zootopia deals with prejudices and stereotypes and turns that on its head. A whodunit, it is also about being true to oneself, following one’s dreams and pursuing life’s calling. Beyond that, the key theme is the importance of family and friends. Judy Hopps’s amiable farmer parents play a key role.
Co-director Bryce Howard acknowledges they set out to make a funny animal movie, which it certainly is, but as they started digging they saw an opportunity “to talk about something important”. There are several immensely clever and humorous scenes, none greater than when a sequence involving sloths is introduced. It is nothing short of comic genius.
Zootopia also utilises the voice talents of Idris Elba as the gruff buffalo police chief Bogo and Bonnie Hunt as mother rabbit. JK Simmons vocalises the lion mayor and Shakira a statuesque performing beauty known simply as “Gazelle”.
Zootopia is a rollicking and engaging ride – fun, fanciful and most enjoyable. It is clearly a family film with heart and substance. Rated PG, Zootopia scores an 8 out of 10.
Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Shakira
Release Date: 17 March 2016
Rating: PG – Mild themes and threat, some scenes may scare young children
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
