Disney's Zootropolis [DVD] [2016]

I love nature and anthropomorphic tales, so Zootropolis, or Zootopia as it's also known, was manna in Heaven for me when it came out earlier this year. Far more than the polemic message woven into it, the story is full of as much amusement as you might expect, and far more drama than anyone would expect. There's even a monumental twist which I (unlike a friend who watched it with me) never saw coming.The world itself is like a higher-tech reincarnation of the picture books of Richard Scarry, which I loved once long ago, with the requisite novelty cars and memorable characters. The lead character is Judy Hopps, who’s beaten the odds and low expectations to become the first rabbit officer in the Zootropolis police. There is a bit of a standard training montage with a she-bear trainer repeatedly squawking loudly that she’s “dead”, but that’s mercifully short. Judy’s an inspiring character, being the under-bunny who makes it big, while still remaining humanly fallible. Her one-room apartment, complete with spinster-friendly instant meals in the fridge and argumentative antelope next door, helps to reinforce this. By the time the movie ends, she is just as kind and optimistic, but combines this with a new-found wisdom and realistation about her own pre-conceived ideas.Judy’s life takes a strange turn when she meets Nick Wilde, a sarky fox con artist. Nick offsets her very well, because by being thrown together, he and Judy eventually discover they're not as different as they thought. Chief Bogo breaks the cliche of the overbearing chief who does nothing but shout down the maverick in his ranks. Just wait for the scene with the cheesy phone app! Indeed all the characters combine to make this movie memorable, like brain-dead hippie bovine Jax, Nick’s foghorn-voiced little buddy Finnick, Clawhauser, the simpering feline pudding who staffs the front desk at Judy’s station, and of course Gazelle, who I'm convinced will be ranked alongside Jessica Rabbit and Betty Boop in future polls.Let me just run down what makes this a great film for me. Those of you who've seen it, you'll know what I mean. Those of you who haven't, I urge you to watch this so you do.SIDE-SPLITTING HUMOUR"Blood! Blood! Blood! And... death!!!!"Judy tickets her own electric cart on parking duty. Fantastic music at this point."…and that is not wet cement."Judy discovers a naturalist, i.e. nudist, club in the heart of the city.Flash, the languid DMV sloth, and his colleagues."Soooo fluffy!!!""I’m Gazelle and you are one hot dancer, Chief Bogo!"SUBTLE JOKES AND OUTSIDE REFERENCESThe bobcat doing sound effects at the school play - he has a bright future in theatre!"One bunny can call another bunny cute, but when other mammals do it...""You come here unannounced the day my daughter is to be married..."A visual reference to Breaking Bad.A wolf putting on a sheep mask to go undercover.GENUINE EXCITEMENTJudy gazes upon the various districts of the city as she rides in on the train.Judy pursuing a shoplifter through the rodent district of the city.Fleeing from a psychotic black jaguar and a private lupine security force.A train-top chase reminiscent of the last scene in Speed.GENUINE EMOTIONA flashback to an appalling act of bullying that turned Nick’s life around.“I really am just a dumb bunny!”“Fear always works.”“Look inside yourself and understand, change starts with you.”

A few friends recommended this film and, having heard positive things from various sources, I thought I would give it a go. I loved it! I knew nothing about the plot before watching, but felt Disney hit their target. Zootropolis is all about achieving your dreams regardless of what people tell you. It’s the first new Disney film for a while I feel has an inspiring message that is realistic for younger audiences. If you can dream it, you can do it!Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is a charming young bunny determined to be a cop. Nick (voiced by Jason Bateman) is a con-fox who gets roped into Judy’s investigation. Zootropolis is a story of charm, of overcoming your prejudices and not letting anything hold you back from achieving your dreams. Judy and Nick (naturally) become friends over the course of the film and must overcome their true natures if they want to fight for that friendship. There are a few twists along the way to stop it being too predictable and the characters have enough personality I was definitely rooting for them!I can’t comment on the acting, but the animation was superb. The voices were also extremely well matched, including Idris Elba (Thor, Luther) as Chief Bogo and Jenny Slate as the timid Bellweather. Both Goodwin and Bateman set the right tone and truly brought their characters to life through their voices. The dialogue made the film hilarious and in true Disney style, referenced their other films – hence the above quote.I have to admit; I was also really taken with the soundtrack. Shakira’s (voicing Gazelle) song “Try Everything” continues the theme of never giving up and is quite catchy. I didn’t find any hidden messages of body image or unrealistic love, but a tale of friendship, being open-minded and learning to accept people’s differences. If that isn’t a series of positive messages to send out to young children, I don’t know what is.Whether you have little ones or whether you want to indulge in an evening of fun, Zootropolis is a heart-warming, charming story that will leave you with a grin on your face. When you have a cop-bunny, con-man-fox and a missing otter in the mix, what’s not to like?

i absolutely love this film. such an enjoyable thing to watch and great fun for all the family. only thing I'm annoyed about is that even though i ordered it within the week of its UK Cinema release (as proven by the screenshot) i received it on day two... which i admit is nothing to do with amazon and i am happy they did get me it on day two... but I'm still just really peaved about that :3... i must have been one of the first few hundred people to preorder it and all :3anyway, back to the film. as i said its a very fun film which is worth its reviews from people who have actualy seen it... please heed no notice to the majority of people jumping on the it sucks bandwagon. most of these people are just bitter about the fact Disney advertised the film to furries (don't look them up... do nothing... press nothing... get kryten!). look at the film from the standpoints of itself. each character has a very realistic fur pattern as each fur is animated separately by the software... it looks amazing for a CGI film about talking animals. its very enjoyable and when i watched it with active 3D it looked very ... well... very 3D...before i go... sorry about the figures not being in forcus in the picture but in all fairness they aren't included with the DVD anyway... that's just where i have put them for now.