By Siraj Syed
Zootopia (known as Zootropolis in some countries) is Disney’s 55th animated feature, in 3D computer graphics. The theme--unlikely buddies teaming-up to solve a crime--is not exactly a novel idea in Hollywood productions, but buddy comedy-drama takes an entirely new meaning when the buddies happen to be a rabbit and a fox, and the villains are animals too, for this make-believe tale is set in Zootopia, a highly civilised, modern and automated mammal world, sans human beings. Though there are no humans on screen, it will be a very good idea if you place yourself in the audience, for 108 minutes of unadulterated fun.
Zootopia is a gleaming metropolis, populated by anthropomorphic mammals, divided in several districts including Sahara Square, Tundratown, Little Rodentia, and the Rainforest District. Judy Hopps, a rabbit from rural Bunnyburrow, goes through rigorous training and fulfills her dream of joining the Zootopia Police Department, as the first rabbit officer. However, she is regularly assigned parking duty by Chief Bogo, turning her into a mere Meter Maid. Nobody had ever expected a bunny to join the force; they all thought that the right vocation for rabbits was carrot farming.
One day, a Mrs. Otterton, an otter, arrives, pleading help to locate her missing husband, one of the fourteen mammals recently gone missing. Bogo tries to stall her, but, to his dismay, Hopps volunteers, and even accepts Bogo’s condition that she will have to resign if she cannot solve the case within 48 hours. Nick Wilde, a fast-talking fox who’s trying to make it, big goes on the run as a key witness of Mr. Otter’s disappearance. Hopps locates him and coerces him to assist her with the investigation, lest he be charged with tax evasion, which he openly admitted and Judy recorded with her carrot pen. But when both become targets of a conspiracy, they’re forced to team up and discover that even natural enemies can become best friends.
Six story-writers, two screenplay writers and three directors form the creative team that has put-together this project. Some names are common, and the ensemble behind-the screen cast has done a commendable job. Rich Moore (Wreck it Ralph) came on-board late 2014. He moved the story away from Nick to Judy. Byron Howard co-directed Bolt and Tangled.
The duo does not deny the influence of Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on their narrative. The third name in the directing department is Jared Bush (Big Hero 6, Creative Leadership; Penn Zero, Part-Time Hero, Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Writer: Zootopia, Co-Director and Writer). Besides the directors, the story credits include Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, Joshie Trinidad and Jim Reardon. There were 1,97,136 story panels created for Zootopia. All that effort gelled together to give us an immensely watchable animal drama, full of human emotions and allegories, including language humour and a key twist that depends on cracking the meaning of the term ‘night howlers’.
Movement and body finish are given special attention. You can actually distinguish animal fur, which is not common in the genre. Don’t feel too self conscious if a wolf-whistle escapes you when Gazelle comes on—she is really something. Also, keep your laughs and applauses reserved for the sloth scenes, and think of the slothful officials who take ages to respond. So what if the story is about cocooning, ambition, abuse of power, greed, confidence tricksters, stereo-typing, crime boss and other familiar human subjects seen in movies over the last 100 years? It’s the blending and presentation that matters.
Voices are uniformly good, and help make the animals human. You can rarely go wrong with the likes of Ginnifer Goodwin, J.K. Simmons, Idris Elba and Jason Bateman. Without individual comments, here is the list.
· Ginnifer Goodwin as Officer Judy Hopps; Della Saba voices a younger Judy.
· Jason Bateman as Nicholas P. "Nick" Wilde; Kath Soucie voices a younger Nick Wilde.
· Idris Elba as Chief Bogo.
· J.K. Simmons as Leodore Lionheart, a noble lion who is the Mayor of Zootopia.
· Tommy Chong as Yax, an enlightened laid-back Yak who is the owner of the naturist club Mystic Springs Oasis.
· Octavia Spencer as Mrs. Otterton.
· Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether, a sweet sheep, who is the assistant mayor of Zootopia.
· Shakira as Gazelle, a gazelle from Sahara Square, who is a famous pop star and has a lot of fans (chuckle at the visual interpretation of Gazelle, and enjoy Shakira’s sensual vocals).
· Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, an obese cheetah who works as a dispatcher/receptionist for the Zootopia Police Department.
· Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps, the mother of Judy Hopps.
· Don Lake as Stu Hopps, the father of Judy Hopps and a carrot farmer.
· Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton, a small-time weasel crook from Little Rodentia. (Remember the Duke of Weselton from Frozen, also voiced by Tudyk?)
· Raymond S. Persi as Flash, the "fastest" three-toed sloth in the DMV (short for Department of Mammal Vehicles).
· Maurice LaMarche as Mr. Big (a Bond villain was named Mr. Big; an arctic shrew who is the most fearsome crime boss in Tundratown.
· Tom Lister, Jr. as Finnick, a fennec fox who is Nick's partner in crime.
· Jesse Corti as Manchas.
· John DiMaggio as Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., an African elephant who owns an elephant ice cream parlor called Jumbeaux's Café.
· Leah Latham as Fru Fru, the daughter of Mr. Big, who disapproves of her father doing his crime business.
· Kristen Bell as Priscilla, a sloth who is Flash's co-worker at the DMV.
· Gita Reddy as Nangi, an elephant that works as a yoga instructor at Mystic Springs Oasis. (The word ‘nangi’ means naked in Hindi. Wonder what made them choose such a name; Canadian actress Gita is now 48; was seen in Eat Pray Love, Dogs Lie, Indian Fish in American Waters, The Bourne Legacy).
· Rich Moore as Doug, a sheep chemist that works for Deputy Mayor Bellwether (also a co-director on this film).
· Byron Howard as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson (co-director of the film).
· Jared Bush as Pronk Oryx-Antlerson (also a writer on this film).
Zootopia deserves a viewTopia, and age is no bar.
Rating: ***1/2
Trailer:
CHATELIN Bruno 
