Sunday, February 21, 2016

ZOOTOPIA is a Modern Fable and a Disney Classic


Ever since I was little, I have always read stories and watched movies where animals are the main characters. They talk like humans and even like around like humans, more often than not, they also share the same characteristics as humans. 

I learned later on that these stories were called 'Fables' and that these 'human qualities' are called being 'anthropomorphized'. Disney has always featured these anthropomorphized animals in their films, such as Bambi (1942), Dumbo (1941), 'Robin Hood (1973) among many others. 

In Zootopia, Disney returns to their fabled stories but by giving it a modern make-over, with animals using smart phones, face time, and even an app that let's you dance with Gazelle, Zootopia's pop-star; Grammy-award winner Shakira lends both her acting and singing voice to the  socially conscious celebrity. 


So how does Zootopia work? In theory, animals have evolved to leave their prey and predator (killer/ flight or fight) instincts behind and now, they wear clothes, drive cars, pay taxes and have jobs like you and me. Of course, some animals will be well suited for some jobs better than others. Like, big scary predators are more ideal to be in the Police Force. 

But rabbit, Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) believes that anybody can be anything, even if it means being the first Rabbit Police Officer. After graduating at the top of her class, Judy sets out to Zootopia, leaving the carrot farm, her 225 brothers and sisters and overbearing parents behind. 

Arriving at the city, Judy soon finds out that being the new bunny cop will be harder than she thought with the whole force undermining her, Polce Chief Bogo, a Cape Buffalo voiced by Idris Elba, assigning her to give out parking tickets, despite an alarming missing mammals case, going around the city. 


Desperate to prove herself, Juddy Hopps partners with the fast talking, sly-fox, scam artist (and the natural enemy of rabbits, Papa and Mama Rabbit .will not be pleased) Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to solve the case. 

8.5 out of 10 Zootopia, is a ceaseless wonder for the senses, the animation is eye-popping gorgeous, the imaginative and innovative city has so many things to see and marvel at, from Tundratown, Sahara Square to hippopotamus drying stations and elephant ice cream parlors. 

I was a big fan of the height scale that the movie used, you can really see the difference in size from a cute tiny mouse to a towering giraffe. 

Plus points if you catch the "Frozen" reference in the movie. 

It is a classic detective story which will keep both the adults and kids guessing as who is behind the disappearing mammal case, all the while teaching the important life lessons of becoming more than what is expected of you, going against stereotypes and that even sworn enemies like a rabbit and a fox, can be the best of friends. 



Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 17, “Zootopia” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures. Follow the official social media accounts of Disney in the Philippines, namely, (FB) WaltDisneyStudiosPH, (Twitter) @disneystudiosph and (Instagram) @waltdisneystudiosph and use the hashtag #ZootopiaPH.


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