Number Rolled: 66
Movie Name/Year: Zootopia
(2016)
Tagline: Welcome
to the Urban Jungle.
Genre: Family
Length: 108
minutes
Rating: PG
Production Companies:
Walt Disney
Producer: John
Lasseter, Clark Spencer
Director: Byron
Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Writer: Byron
Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston,
Jennifer Lee
Actors: Ginnifer
Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt,
Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira,
Raymond S. Persi, Della Saba, Maurice LaMarche, Phil Johnston, Fuschia!, John
DiMaggio, Katie Lewis, Gita Reddy, Jesse Corti, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister
Stunt Doubles: None
Languages
Speech Available:
English, Spanish
Subtitles Available:
English, Spanish
Blurb from Netflix:
When an otter mysteriously disappears from the animal city of Zootopia, a
rabbit police officer teams up with a fast-talking fox to set things right.
Selina’s Point of View:
Up until I got to about forty-five minutes in, I thought
this film was incredibly overrated. I just couldn’t get into it before the
crime plot really started up.
Now that I’ve seen the rest of the film though, I get it.
The mystery of the crime was actually very well done and I really liked the way
revelations occurred to the characters. They made sense. In the end, though,
what I liked the most was the amount of togetherness the film encourages.
The racial parallels are not subtle. In fact, the
comparisons will beat you over the head like John Cena with a chair.
That being said, anything that promotes tolerance and togetherness
is alright by me.
I was entertained by the rest of the film. Once I got passed
that strangely bad start, I did wind up zoning into the story. I began to feel
connected to the furry critters and I was amused by a decent amount of the
jokes.
When I watched the trailer, the sloth/DMV part was my
absolute favorite. Now that I’ve seen the film, the sloth/DMV part is still my
very favorite. I could watch that on loop for days and not get bored of it. Not
just cause I love sloths, either. They simply did a phenomenal job with everything
about that part.
I did greatly enjoy the chemistry between the main
characters. Judy Hopps, played by Ginnifer Goodwin (One Upon a Time, Something Borrowed, Big Love), and Nick Wilde,
played by Jason Bateman (The Family Fang,
Growing Up Fisher, Arrested Development), were relatively magical when I
heard them together.
I don’t have much else to say. It was a good film. I’d
rather watch pretty much any other Disney movie, but this one was great and it
was something necessary for our divisive times.
Cat’s Point of View:
Right out of the gate, I’ll just say that I love this movie
– so much so, that I am not really even sure where to begin. There is so much
wonderful stuff jam-packed into this film. It’s got message, a stellar cast, a
mind boggling load of Easter eggs, and infectious music.
I actually got to go to this one in the theater while
accompanying my daughter to a Girl Scout outing. Everyone loved it, parents and
kids alike. There’s good cause.
This movie is PG, but I’m fairly sure it’s only because some
scenes might be a bit intense for very small children. There’s some violence
involved – but nothing over the top or gratuitous. It’s all integral to the
plot. I felt that was important to mention because the message this film
carries is so important; especially in times like these.
This movie stands up against stereotyping and what some
currently refer to as “profiling.” The message is strong that each person is
able to accomplish anything if they have the drive and are willing to put in
the work.
The creative team for this film did well in choosing the
representative animals for these roles. A rabbit was the perfect choice for
Judy Hopps. They are so adorable, soft, and seemingly cuddly – but with big
pointy teeth! (If you heard that last bit in a shrill British accent, you are
awesome.) Seriously. Have you SEEN or read Watership
Down (1978)? That one was also PG but it was far darker. Don’t
underestimate the bunnies.
I digress.
Waxing political is very much so not my thing. We are,
however, in turbulent times amidst sweeping mistrust and division. The message
of unity in this wonderful family movie is what we need more of, in order to
scatter the shadows that are descending.
The cast brought their characters to life on par with the
high expectations I had. Ginnifer Goodwin (Walk
The Line, Ramona and Beezus, Electric City), Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses, The Gift, Central
Intelligence), and Idris Elba (RocknRolla,
Takers, Beasts of No Nation) among them. There were just too many people
here that had me giggling in some form of fan-squee or another as the movie
unfolded or as the credits rolled.
I can’t possibly go into the number of little references
that are sprinkled like child-thrown glitter confetti throughout this movie.
They’re everywhere. I was particularly amused with the cluster of them that
surrounded Alan Tudyk’s (42, Tell, Trumbo)
character. It would spoil all the fun if I explained it to you. This is one of
those movies that you might actually find several new things in every time you
watch it.
I can say with certainty that I would watch this one several
more times, easily, and not find myself bored. It’s a fabulous movie.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 98%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 92%
Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 5/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 3.5/5
Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4.5/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score
– 5/5
P.S. Some visuals
during the first part of the credits.
Movie Trailer:
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