![\"zootopiaposter\"](\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zootopiaposter.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDirector: \u00a0<\/strong>Byron Howard, Rich Moore Fast forward two years and this time the studio has nailed it. \u00a0Once again Disney have conjured up a fascinating setting, but this time they’ve got a terrific story to boot. \u00a0Zootopia<\/em> (or\u00a0Zootropolis<\/em> depending on where you’re from) is set in a world filled with anthropomorphic mammals who have collectively evolved as a society to suppress their natural instincts as predators and prey. \u00a0Although not explicitly stated in the film, the creators revealed in an interview that they envisioned\u00a0Zootopia<\/em> as a world free of human influence, which explains\u00a0the absence of any domesticated creatures like cats and dogs. \u00a0Instead the world of\u00a0Zootopia<\/em> is populated with the likes of rabbits, foxes, cheetahs, rhinos, polar bears, koalas and perhaps most memorably, sloths.<\/p>\n Judy Hopps is an ambitious rabbit. \u00a0She is raised by well meaning, conservative parents who hope she sticks with her kind and lives out her life on the farm, carrying on a family tradition. \u00a0But Judy is a starry eyed do-gooder who has dreams of becoming the first rabbit police officer, a job typically fulfilled by enourmous predators. \u00a0Completing her training at the academy is no mean feat as her diminutive size and second guessing\u00a0from her peers are obstacles she must overcome. \u00a0But Judy is earnest, spirited and unshakable in chasing her dream. \u00a0She completes her qualifications and soon she is headed for the big smoke – Zootopia! – where she will start a new life as an officer of the law.<\/p>\n Judy is tested from the very first day. \u00a0She is constantly belittled and overlooked. \u00a0Her commanding officer – a water buffalo named Chief Bogo – tells her plainly that he has no faith in her. \u00a0During the morning briefing, he explains that there is mounting pressure on the police force to solve the case of the missing Mr Otterton, the most recent victim in a spate of disappearances, all of whom are animals of prey. \u00a0The polices have few suspects and fewer leads.<\/p>\n Judy is excluded from the case and is assigned meter maid duty. \u00a0This disheartening development distances her from the case but it leads to her crossing paths with\u00a0the street smart hustler\u00a0known as Nick Wilde. \u00a0Wilde is a jaded, world weary fox who keeps his cards close to his chest and is the perfect foil to the naive and blindly optimistic Judy. \u00a0Of course, one thing leads to another and soon the two are working the case of the missing mammals together.<\/p>\n I liked\u00a0Zootopia<\/em> a lot. \u00a0The anthropomorphic cast and its noire trappings reminded me of the delightful French comic book series\u00a0Blacksad<\/em>. \u00a0This particular blend of genre and art style presents fresh ground for a mainstream animated film to broach and the tale of a gumshoe investigating a missing persons case – the basic framework of Phillip Marlowe’s classic\u00a0The Big Sleep<\/em> – is a path that’s ripe with potential. \u00a0The great thing is that Walt Disney Pictures deliver on that promise and really hit it out of the park where it counts. \u00a0This is a film that is populated with likeable characters who develop their characters over the course of the story. \u00a0It has a cracking mystery at the centre of its tale. \u00a0Best of all, it is consistently funny throughout and full of interesting observations about the unique world that the characters inhabit.<\/p>\n As you may have already ascertained, this an all ages Disney film that is surprisingly on the nose about being an allegory for race relations. \u00a0When Judy says “only rabbits can call each other cute” and Nick advises her “never let them see that they get to you”, its made pretty plain that\u00a0Zootopia<\/em> isn’t really about rabbits and foxes looking for otters. \u00a0That the film should so directly address its messaging at the minority, the disenfranchised and the other is both noble and laudable. \u00a0To see journalists on Murdoch’s payroll\u00a0piss and moan<\/a><\/strong> that Disney have the temerity to tell morality tales about tolerance is proof in the pudding of Zootopia<\/em>‘s fine work. \u00a0Like\u00a0Paddington<\/em> before it (a film that preaches acceptance and tolerance towards immigrants), this is the perfect sneaky film to pass onto the kids of your racist uncle.<\/p>\n Zootopia<\/em> is wildly creative, filled with great gags and has an inspired message at its core. \u00a0For the longest time, Pixar have been the gold standard for producing quality animated films. \u00a0Last year showed that they still have that capability – see\u00a0Inside Out<\/em> – but they have also faltered at times, as with their latest release, the inexplicably bland\u00a0The Good Dinosaur. \u00a0<\/em>Walt Disney Pictures on the other hand have been tracking more hits than misses. \u00a0Tangled, Frozen<\/em> and\u00a0Zootopia<\/em> all point to a studio really hitting their stride. \u00a0I’ll be surprised if there’s a better animated film this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[62,2505,976,2503,2506,2507,2508,2504],"class_list":["post-19757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-films","tag-disney","tag-ginnifer-goodwin","tag-idris-elba","tag-jared-bush","tag-jason-bateman","tag-jenny-slate","tag-nate-torrence","tag-phil-johnston"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19757"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20165,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19757\/revisions\/20165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWriters: \u00a0<\/strong>Jared Bush, Phil Johnston
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence<\/p>\nA<\/span> couple of years ago, Walt Disney Pictures produced a film set in the neon-lit, futuristic city of San Fransokyo – a high tech wonderland that seemed like the perfect backdrop to tell an imaginative tale. \u00a0Unfortunately,\u00a0Big Hero 6\u00a0<\/em>squandered that potential by telling a disappointingly conventional and paint-by-numbers story that didn’t take full of advantage of its inspired\u00a0setting.<\/p>\n![\"zootopiascene\"](\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/zootopiascene.jpg\")
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