Actor from Previous Movie: Idris Elba (Janek, Chief Bogo)
Where to Watch: your local movie theater
This weekend I ventured out to see the new Disney movie Zootopia and I absolutely loved it! Initially I didn't have much interest in seeing it; it looked like a pretty standard kids movie that I could wait to see until it showed up on Netflix. But then I heard such good things about it I had to see for myself.
Zootopia was an extremely cute kid-friendly buddy cop style mystery. Ginnifer Goodwin as the delightfully positive Judy Hopps was a perfect lead character. I'm always a fan of kids movies that have great casts and this was no exception. It's funny because I didn't recognize JK Simmons as the mayor until he started yelling, and flashbacks of his verbally abusive character in Whiplash came to me instantly.
It was really neat for a kids movie to tackle the subject of racism in such a direct yet inventive way. The issues were very realistic, like when Nick felt he was allowed to touch Ms. Bellwether's hair or when Judy informed someone that calling her cute was inappropriate. It showed that racism isn't always violent or hostile, sometimes it's uncomfortable and simply disrespectful. This level of subtly isn't usually seen in kids movies, and I was very impressed. I think that just because a movie is for kids doesn't mean it should dumb itself down and treat its audience as stupid.
The movie was alot of fun for anyone regardless of age. It's bright and colorful and filled with super cute animals for kids as young as 2 (like my cousin, who can barely speak but loved the movie), while having a strong message and some funny jokes to entertain an older crowd. It also begs the question: when a kids movie spoofs a scene from the Godfather, do kids actually get the joke?
Bechdel Assessment: Pass! Judy Hopps helps and is helped by many women throughout the movie! It was nice to see.
teach them young...
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