Critics are really loving this. The critical consensus is just in from RottenTomatoes:
"The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that's as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation -- all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained."
Chris video review
Give it an A he loved his very surpriced by it as well.
For my part gives away to many spoilers for the first 45 min but not breaking to not watch the review.
Just watch the movie fist and then check out his review because its worth it.
So is it true that they had different male reporters in different versions of the movie? Apparently the female leopard is consistent but the male reporter with her is different per region.
The one I got (Philippines) was the moose which was also in the American release.
Not sure I really like this. I heard there was a koala reporter in it and thought it was just in every version, as in there was only one version without them having different animals for different markets, but no. The koala, known as David Koalabell is supposedly just for Australia.
So is it true that they had different male reporters in different versions of the movie? Apparently the female leopard is consistent but the male reporter with her is different per region.
The one I got (Philippines) was the moose which was also in the American release.
Watched this a few days ago. Good movie, but definitely not as good as I was expecting. Definitely liked BH6 and Inside Out more.
I think my main issue with it is how little breathing space it had. It just goes from scene to scene too quickly and it drains any emotional value from what should be important character moments, as well as making it feel like every puzzle piece of the mystery fit a little too well. I loved the plot and characters though, and I thought the social commentary was pretty good. Some scenes like
Nick's memory
got pretty dark, and I did appreciate that it wasn't afraid to take the story in unexpected directions.
Unfortunately my friend I watched all films with, including children movies, isn't nearby. So I won't be watching this. And unlike another movie I would consider going to a matinee to, kids movie by myself would be weird
Unfortunately my friend I watched all films with, including children movies, isn't nearby. So I won't be watching this. And unlike another movie I would consider going to a matinee to, kids movie by myself would be weird
This. I never understood this mentality, you want to see a movie but you refuse to because some stranger you'll probably never see again might judge you?
A couple of quotes
"To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up - C.S. Lewis"
"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway. - Walt Disney"
Unfortunately my friend I watched all films with, including children movies, isn't nearby. So I won't be watching this. And unlike another movie I would consider going to a matinee to, kids movie by myself would be weird
I mean, nowadays someone might call the cops on you if they truly think you're a perv in a children's movie trying to get near children. So I can understand the concern apart from worrying about what people think of you.
That said, if you don't know ANYONE else who wants to see it, the answer for pretty much any animated movie is to go see a 9 p.m. or midnight showing. There won't be children and you'll get a great seat.
Is it weird that I feel some police officer is eventually going to come out against the film because of its themes/message or am I just being too cynical?
Is it weird that I feel some police officer is eventually going to come out against the film because of its themes/message or am I just being too cynical?
I almost expect it. In fact, if it manages to get a angry panel on Fox News talking about it, the film has succeeded. Can't wait to see what kind of discussion arises from it's US release.
Saw it last week, not expecting much, and it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. I didn't like the trailer with the sloths at all, and was sad to see that scene making it into the movie, as it was incredibly boring, but despite that and the Shakira song (can't stand the way she sings), it was a pretty fun movie. Some dialogues were rather dark and depressing, which felt strange but interesting at the same time. It also looks beautiful, and doesn't drag except for the sloths scene and the Shakira song at the end (yes, it appears twice, but at least the first time it's coupled with some nice vistas). Liked how the characters were written, and their behavior was credible for a bunch of anthropomorphic animals. The plot was good, and even though I predicted a few particular twists, they were still done well. So yes, I'm very satisfied with Zootopia, especially after the awful trailer.
What felt disappointing was finding out the soundtrack was composed by Michael Giacchino, as it didn't stand out nor felt memorable, so it seems kind of a waste to me. Loved his work in Inside Out, but can't say I'm a fan of this one. It's not even like it was bad, because at least that would have left an impression, it simply felt forgettable. Looking forward to giving it another listen in the future and seeing if I change my mind.
Unfortunately my friend I watched all films with, including children movies, isn't nearby. So I won't be watching this. And unlike another movie I would consider going to a matinee to, kids movie by myself would be weird
When I went to see this movie most of the people in the theater were adults who didn't bring children. It's no big deal if you go see the movie by yourself yo.
Really solid movie. I liked it better than Inside Out. They also got away with a lot of subtle commentary on stereotypes and jokes by focusing on "animal" relations.
I will probably go see it again.
I see many people comparing this to Inside Out just because they're both computer animated movies, besides those similarities I don't personally find the need to compare the two at all.
Zootopia didn't do much for me. There's nothing wrong about the movie, there are no noticeable flaws either. I think the disconnect with me and this movie was that it is a PG movie targeted towards a younger audience. I guess I wanted more exploration into the crime aspect of the story.
Personally I'm reaching a point where computer animated movies for me are losing their draw because they are too safe for me. I should probably stop watching them unless they want to go into the PG-13 territory. I recommend the movie though, go see it.
When differentiating between Disney and Pixar's approaches, I tend to generalize the former as specializing in stories about archetypal clashes of good and evil (The Lion King being probably the modern apex of this), while Pixar's stories are driven more by character development. Those lines blur in places, and Zootopia definitely feels like Disney dipped into Pixar-type territory. Based on the evidence so far (this, Wreck-It Ralph), I think Disney is better at doing Pixar than Pixar is at doing Disney (see: Brave). If society needs a kiddie primer on racial tension, I guess this is as good of one as you'd want. Also a kids' movie that references both The Godfather and Breaking Bad.
I didn't know a huge amount about the film going in, but I saw a random line indicating that there was a
surprise villain; if you go in knowing that, the identity of said villain is really easy to guess.
Not that it particularly matters, as there are some things I didn't expect along the way.
Great voice cast, even including some pretty decent line deliveries by Shakira (I'm sure the Academy is hoping to pencil her in for a performance at next year's ceremony; the Original Song category for this last one had to go without a Disney song).
My appreciation for this film was heightened further by having to sit through the trailer for Angry Birds, which concluded with an excruciatingly long joke about an eagle urinating in water the protagonists had just been frolicking in.
I just got back from watching it and it was overall awesome. I'm confused about the police brutality / anti-cop thing someone mentioned. I remember very little criticizing the police, and not even a single "evil" police character. More spoilery:
Sexism and racism but those were portrayed as character flaws, and the characters themselves were still "good".
A villain's plot motivation seemed thin for me (STORY SPOILER
once they were in power, did they really need to continue their plan?
), and the sloth scene was still long and kind of annoying, but the rest was pretty great.
The animation was gorgeous. The train ride in particular was my favorite part. In general, there are tons of neat visual jokes and touches with all the animals, plus characters with some decent depth and stories.
I'd say 9/10 for me.
One thing that confused me was towards the end:
Didn't she say 14 jail cells, and not counting the cougar, 14 missing predators? Wouldn't that only account for 13 predators then? Or was the jump scare tiger in a different area?
Went in learning that the theme of race/species prejudice would play a big role in the movie, but wasn't ready for how well and effective it played between predator and prey, nor how hard it hit throughout when things became serious, nor the
feels
that followed for and between the two main characters.
Which made it especially heart-rending seeing July's constant struggle to surpass almost everyone's expectations of what an average rabbit should be, while Nick was willing to stick to what everyone expects what an average fox was meant to be until someone saw him differently.
Cast and visuals were excellent. Humor/drama mix was good. Surprisingly,
the DMV scene was still funny, despite shown as an earlier trailer.
ZOOTOPIA feels like a misstep, although it's not abysmal. It feels misguided, and its metaphors are muddled and perplexing beneath its charming, sweet, and funny surface.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the movie after the credits rolled. The movie, like THE GOOD DINOSAUR, feels hollow. It's not sinister. It doesn't appear to be from a place of malice. The Disney Animation story cabal wanted to impart a positive message, but something doesn't feel right about the story and subtext.
It's when I read Jordan Hoffman and Devin Faraci's critiques that the film's central problem crystallized: ZOOTOPIA's use of metaphors is messy and the underlying message isn't cogent, but if you take what it puts on its surface,
"Tolerate others and don't stereotype, even if the world isn't perfect it's important to try to keep an open mind" with oodles of charm and pop culture references
, then I suppose it's cute and fine and innocuous.
ZOOTOPIA tries to tackle heavy and nuanced thematic material and it feels messy. I understand that it's an animated movie and it's geared toward a general audience, and most films like it don't carry much subtext if any. But Disney Animation as of late have dealt with deeper thematic material while still being entertaining for a general audience. BIG HERO 6 deals with loss and depression and the arduous process of trial and error. WRECK IT RALPH is about an identity crisis and how to cope with your flaws, and sacrificing your own selfish desires for the well-being of others. There's no notable dissonance in either film.
I get what the story cabal was trying to do with ZOOTOPIA, but its central message doesn't resonate as well as it should.
*Major spoilers for ZOOTOPIA below*
A compelling story comes from truth and we empathize because of how it relates to our experiences. ZOOTOPIA is about
racism and tolerance. Disney Animation won't outright say that the movie is an allegory for race inequality, but it totally is.
There's a scene where Nicholas, a fox who is viewed as a grifter and predator, confides in Judy, a rabbit who was traumatized by a fox as a child, a traumatic childhood incident where he was profiled and humiliated. His coping mechanism (not verbatim): "Don't let people know it gets to you because then they've won. Don't show it bothers you. I've been treated like a criminal, so I might as well embrace it and act like one." It's heavy-handed and is an obvious metaphor for profiling and systemic racism, but the film tries to juggle too many metaphors when it gets into the biological argument for the predators going "savage," which turns out not to be the true cause.
Its error is having the predators of the story represent the minority group. This isn't inferential, it's said twice that the prey of ZOOTOPIA outnumber the predators. This complicates the metaphor because predators and prey in nature aren't inherently comparable to the injustices in our society, even if the animals are anthropomorphic.
I agree with its message: racism is bad and stereotypes are toxic, but I don't agree with everything it attaches to it because it feels muddled instead of incisive.
There's a disconnect between what was intended by the story cabal and what the narrative is saying to the audience, and it weighs the movie down. It's disappointing because the voice acting is solid, the animation is superb, the world is intricate and striking, and it boasts a surprising number of laughs, protracted pop culture references notwithstanding.
Holy crap at the RT score. Going to see this Friday night with the kids and had my expectations set pretty low - the trailers didn't sell it very well.
I wanna watch this movie so bad. I love animation, and this looks like it has a pretty interesting premise. Buuut I don't have a license and no one I know takes animation seriously enough to bus me forty-five minutes away to the nearest theater.
A villain's plot motivation seemed thin for me (STORY SPOILER
once they were in power, did they really need to continue their plan?
), and the sloth scene was still long and kind of annoying, but the rest was pretty great.
One thing that confused me was towards the end:
Didn't she say 14 jail cells, and not counting the cougar, 14 missing predators? Wouldn't that only account for 13 predators then? Or was the jump scare tiger in a different area?
the driver doesn't count for the 14 missing people since he is "fresh", as they say. They say that as "if we don't count the driver, we have 14 animals - 14 missing animals!"
ZOOTOPIA feels like a misstep, although it's not abysmal. It feels misguided, and its metaphors are muddled and perplexing beneath its charming, sweet, and funny surface.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the movie after the credits rolled. The movie, like THE GOOD DINOSAUR, feels hollow. It's not sinister. It doesn't appear to be from a place of malice. The Disney Animation story cabal wanted to impart a positive message, but something doesn't feel right about the story and subtext.
It's when I read Jordan Hoffman and Devin Faraci's critiques that the film's central problem crystallized: ZOOTOPIA's use of metaphors is messy and the underlying message isn't cogent, but if you take what it puts on its surface,
"Tolerate others and don't stereotype, even if the world isn't perfect it's important to try to keep an open mind" with oodles of charm and pop culture references
, then I suppose it's cute and fine and innocuous.
ZOOTOPIA tries to tackle heavy and nuanced thematic material and it feels messy. I understand that it's an animated movie and it's geared toward a general audience, and most films like it don't carry much subtext if any. But Disney Animation as of late have dealt with deeper thematic material while still being entertaining for a general audience. BIG HERO 6 deals with loss and depression and the arduous process of trial and error. WRECK IT RALPH is about an identity crisis and how to cope with your flaws, and sacrificing your own selfish desires for the well-being of others. There's no notable dissonance in either film.
I get what the story cabal was trying to do with ZOOTOPIA, but its central message doesn't resonate as well as it should.
*Major spoilers for ZOOTOPIA below*
A compelling story comes from truth and we empathize because of how it relates to our experiences. ZOOTOPIA is about
racism and tolerance. Disney Animation won't outright say that the movie is an allegory for race inequality, but it totally is.
There's a scene where Nicholas, a fox who is viewed as a grifter and predator, confides in Judy, a rabbit who was traumatized by a fox as a child, a traumatic childhood incident where he was profiled and humiliated. His coping mechanism (not verbatim): "Don't let people know it gets to you because then they've won. Don't show it bothers you. I've been treated like a criminal, so I might as well embrace it and act like one." It's heavy-handed and is an obvious metaphor for profiling and systemic racism, but the film tries to juggle too many metaphors when it gets into the biological argument for the predators going "savage," which turns out not to be the true cause.
Its error is having the predators of the story represent the minority group. This isn't inferential, it's said twice that the prey of ZOOTOPIA outnumber the predators. This complicates the metaphor because predators and prey in nature aren't inherently comparable to the injustices in our society, even if the animals are anthropomorphic.
I agree with its message: racism is bad and stereotypes are toxic, but I don't agree with everything it attaches to it because it feels muddled instead of incisive.
There's a disconnect between what was intended by the story cabal and what the narrative is saying to the audience, and it weighs the movie down. It's disappointing because the voice acting is solid, the animation is superb, the world is intricate and striking, and it boasts a surprising number of laughs, protracted pop culture references notwithstanding.
Eh, I think the problem with that view, as well as those two critics, is that they heavy-handedly force the workings of real life racism into this movie. It's not. While there is the idea of tolerating other people in this film (and that the world isn't perfect, but we try, etc.), there's a major difference between the relationship of predator-prey to say, color. The former is a bit more... how do I say it, presentable, without social constructs. The most we could see is applying human logic with it.
Also I disagree on BH6 - I feel like it's a toned down version of stuff you found in actual Japanese tokusatsu shows. Then again I watch those stuff so I feel unmoved by the show, so I feel the "loss" and the "trial and error" shown by that movie is so lackluster.
And this film has that I'd argue - but it's not supposed to be deeper than "the world sucks, but we try".
I'm seeing this a lot and I don't see the connection. I see a lot of these moments in the movie as generalized racial slurs and nonspecific.
You know why? Because calling a black person the n-word in real life is never funny, so to equate that moment, or moments in the movie to that is off to me.
If it was a slur she'd be offended by it, but it looked more like she was slightly creeped out.
And you guys bring back Wreck it Ralph and I am still pissed at how they are forcing him to "learn" a lesson and make it so that he did something wrong when it's everyone else that's being an asshole.
WRECK IT RALPH is about an identity crisis and how to cope with your flaws, and sacrificing your own selfish desires for the well-being of others
