Movie: Zootopia (2016) #Oscars Best Animated Feature

My Take:

• Disney!
• Where anyone can be any thing. Even a bunny cop.
• I feel ya bunny! I wanted to write books when I was in school and my Ma thought that was dangerous because I would not be able to support myself with something like that.
• “It’s ok for you to have dreams, just as long as you don’t believe in ’em too much.”
• Damn bullies.
• Belly laugh – the feet in the stall – my thought: Does a bear shit in the stall?
• “mammal inclusion initiative”
• Officer Judy Hops “A bunny can call another bunny cute but….”
• “token bunny”
• I heart Jason Bateman’s voice for the fox.
• “Real life is not an insipid little cartoon where you sing a little song and all your dreams come true.”  Nice Disney jab at Disney HA
• “Emmett Otterton” – um….Emmet Otter Jug Band Christmas???
• “We are good at multiplying” ha ha ha ha
• Ok, Tommy Chong as the stoner Yax is the best!
• Nekkid Animals…. “naturalists” ha ha ha ha ha
• Perfect animal for the DMV!
• “Sweet cheesy crackers!”  I am so using that line….
• Props for the Godfather homage.
• flush>river=gross!
• Is an otter considered a predator?  I have to look that up.
• “I came here to make the world a better place and I think I broke it.” Lord, we all been there little bunny!
• Bootleg of “Giraffic” is hilarious!!
• “flopsie the copsie”  ha ha ha ha

This is an amazing story of a “person” who has dreams and refuses to bow to mainstream ideas of stereotyping.  This is a great cartoon for children to learn about acceptance.  The themes are relevant but told in a manner as to not be blatant to a kid.  They use words like “initiative” and terms like “you can do anything” to encourage the little people who watch this cartoon that it is ok to dream.  It teaches them that labels and stereotypes are not “nice.”  The adult humor here and there (Breaking Bad, stoners, etc) makes it fun for the grownups who have to watch with their kids.  I give this movie a A-.

Did you see the movie?  Like it or hate it?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

Synopsis: (per IMDB) In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. 

Starring (via voice):

• Ginnifer Goodwin
• Jason Bateman
• Idris Elba
• Bonnie Hunt
• Tommy Chong
• J.K. Simmons
• Octavia Spencer
• Shakira
• Kristen Bell

Trailer:

 

Additional Movie Info:

It received a Rotten Tomatoes review of 98% Fresh.  It received a Rotten Tomato audience rating of 92% liking it.  Average Rating: 4.4/5 with a number of User Ratings: 96,170.

Additional Reviews:

• RogerEbert.com
• Rolling Stone
• The Atlantic

It had an estimated budget of $150M.  It has a 108 minute run time. 

IMDB Trivia (and there is a lot of it):

• There was a poster for Zootopia in Big Hero 6 (2014) when Baymax and Hiro fly under the train tracks. 
• Animators decided upon Judy’s purple eye color because they thought the rest of her gray fur markings were too dull, particularly for a main character. Purple was chosen to represent her energetic and optimistic personality. 
• Nick Wilde’s design is heavily based on the title character of Disney’s Robin Hood (1973) (who is also a fox). 
• On her train ride to Zootopia, before Judy selects Gazelle, some of the other artists on her music player include: The Beagles, Black Sable, Catty Perry, Destiny’s Cub, Ewe 2, Fleetwood Yak, Fur Fighters, Gun N’ Rodents, Hyena Gomez, Kanine West and Mick Jaguar
• According to Nick’s employment application form, he is 4 feet tall, weighs 80 pounds and his special abilities are “night vision, excellent sense of smell and business savvy”. Also, when asked if he has a criminal record, he checked “yes” then crossed it out and checked “no.”
• The pirated DVDs that Duke Weaselton is selling are movies with word plays to other Walt Disney Animation Studio features. Examples are: “Pig Hero 6” (Big Hero 6 (2014)), “Floatzen” (Frozen (2013)), “Wrangled” (Tangled (2010)), “Wreck-It Rhino” (Wreck-It Ralph (2012)), “Meowana” (Moana (2016)), and “Giraffic” (the upcoming Gigantic (2018)). 
• Chief Bogo’s name is taken from the Swahili word “mbogo,” meaning buffalo.
• Duke Weaselton is voiced by Alan Tudyk, who also voiced the Duke of Weselton (often mispronounced Weaseltown) in Frozen (2013). In contrast to the character of the latter, Judy mispronounces Duke’s last name as “Weselton” in this movie. 
• The nudist Indian Yoga instructor is named Nangi. Nangi refers to a naked woman in the Hindi language.
• There are numerous sight gags consisting of animal versions of common human brand names, including, Lucky Chomps (Lucky Charms cereal), Urban Snoutfitters (Urban Outfitters clothes shops), Zuber (ride hailing service Uber), Pawpsicle (Popsicle frozen pops), Lemming Bros. Bank (erstwhile Lehman Bros.), Trader Doe’s (Trader Joe’s food stores), Mousy’s (Macy’s department store), Moustercharge (MasterCard credit cards), Furs National Bank (instead of First), Targoat (Target), Catsio (Casio), MuzzleTime (FaceTime), and Hoof Locker (Foot Locker), among others. 
• HIDDEN MICKEY: If you look closely at Clawhauser’s spots, you will see a hidden Mickey Mouse on his cheeks. 
• The horn heard when Judy Hopps leaves her hometown and again when she arrives in Zootopia is the horn from the Monorail at Disney Parks. The SkyTram in the rainforest zone is a reference to the Skyway that ferried guests from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. The Sky Buckets were removed from Disneyland in 1994 and from the Magic Kingdom in 1999.
• In Doug the Ram’s night howler lab, he is talking on the phone when he hears a knock at the door and says, “Woolter and Jesse are here so I’m leaving now…” Walter and Jesse are the names of the two main characters in the American television drug drama Breaking Bad. Doug also wears a yellow boiler suit, as do Walter and Jesse in the later seasons of the drug drama. The lab containing the night howler plants is housed in the rear of a train car, similar to the mobile RV lab used in the show. 
• Chief Bogo, when chastising Judy for having unrealistic dreams of becoming a “real cop”, tells her that they aren’t living “in a cartoon world where you sing a little song and all your dreams come true” before telling her to “let it go.” This is an obviously self-referential nod to the large body of prior Disney animated classics, which frequently feature heroes seeking to fulfill lofty dreams, singing, and wishing, particularly the mega-hit Frozen (2013) whose feature song was the anthem “Let it Go” by Idina Menzel. 
• In this film, Maurice LaMarche voiced Mr. Big, an animal crime lord modeled after Marlon Brando‘s character in The Godfather (1972) movies. LaMarche also voiced the Godpigeon in Animaniacs (1993), another animal crime lord modeled after Marlon Brando in the Godfather movies. 
• STUDIO TRADEMARK: The common Pixar Easter Egg referencing their old lesson room, “A113,” appears on Gideon Grey fox’s van number plate JED3113. 
• Freeze frame on the first citation written, at 9:15 am, reveals that a parking with an expired meter is a $25 fine. So, writing 201 tickets means Officer Hopps has earned the city $5,025 in revenue in two hours and 45 minutes (at a pace of almost two tickets per minute). 
• The name Emmitt Otterton is reminiscent of Jim Henson‘s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977). 
• As Officer Hopps gives her statement to the press on ‘cracking the case,’ the station microphones on the podium are arranged in the order of channels 9, 2, 11, and 5. Coincidentally, 92115 is the ZIP code for the city of San Diego, home of one of the largest zoos in the world. 
• Possible homage to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back when Judy is attempting to start the train and transport the Nighthowler evidence to the ZPD. The sound effects match those of the Millenium Falcon when Han Solo is trying to start it up in order to flee the ice planet Hoth. Coupled with that, the camera shot and actions of the protagonists bear strong similarities.
• Between the scene where Judy learns about the Night Howlers, and the scene where Mayor Bellweather is arrested, Judy and Nick are wearing clothes that are similar to the characters Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox from Song of the South. Both films are known for how they depicted race relations. Song of the South was criticized for its condescending portrayal of freed slaves, while Zootopia was praised for its message on stereotypes and discrimination.
• Finnick (Little Toot Toot) is a fennec fox, hence his ironic name. 
• At the beginning of the film, Judy stands up for a sheep against a fox. In the climax of the film, she does the opposite, standing up for a fox against a sheep. 
• When Judy asks to check the traffic camera feed in Assistant Mayor Bellwether’s office, the name is Doug visible, with a phone number underneath. Doug is one of the rams creating the savage drug later on. 
• When Officer Judy realizes Night Howlers refer to the flowers, and jumps in the family farm truck to drive back to Zootopia to solve the case, the license plate reads JER2911 — referring to a popular passage in the Bible — Jeremiah 29:11, a passage that states: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This could refer to the idea that Judy was meant to be a cop, and it is her destiny/calling. 

 

References 

• Taxi! (1932) – Duke Weaselton calls Nick Wilde a “dirty rat”.
• Gone with the Wind (1939) – After her first day on the job, Judy says: “Tomorrow’s another day.”
• Dumbo (1941) -The name of the elephant that runs the ice cream parlor is named Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., pronounced “Jumbo Jr.”, which was Dumbo’s birth name.
• Bambi (1942) – Judy taps her foot repeatedly against the floor like Thumper does.
• Song of the South (1946) – The outfits that Nick and Judy wear in the last third of the movie are updated versions of the outfits worn by B’rer Fox and B’rer Rabbit in Song of the South.
• Bob and Ray (1951) (TV Series) – The scene in the DMV is a reworking of the team’s classic “Slow Talkers of America” routine.
• Lady and the Tramp (1955) – Nick is muzzled like Lady in this movie with an almost exactly identical muzzle.
• Giant (1956) – In one of his cons in the film, Nick Wilde and his “son” tries to buy a Jumbo-pop when the manager of the Jumbeaux’s Café refuses, due to his strong hatred against foxes. It wasn’t until Judy Hopps intervenes in a peaceful manner and convinced the manager to allow Nick to have the Jumbo-pop. This scene was inspired by a similar scene in Giant (1956), where Rock Hudson‘s character, Bick Benedict, peacefully convinced a restaurant manager to allow Mexicans in the restaurant, before the situation gotten worse and Benedict was compelled to engage the manager in a brutal fight. The restaurants in the two films “reserve the right to refuse service to anyone”.
• Sleeping Beauty (1959) – The flower shop that is robbed is called Flora and Fauna.
• Star Trek (1966) (TV Series) – “Star Trunk” can be seen on a theater marquee in the elephants’ neighborhood.
• The Jungle Book (1967) – Bears are scratching their backs against trees in a similar manner as Baloo.
• The AristoCats (1970) – In the scene where Judy goes to tell Nick what is happening, Nick is laying under a bridge. This is roughly the same scene from The Aristocats where Thomas O’Malley sings a song.
• Fritz the Cat (1972) – Using anthropomorphic animals as a means of social commentary.
• Robin Hood (1973) – Nick Wilde’s design is based on Robin Hood.
• Good Times (1974) (TV Series) – Nick refers to Bogo as “Buffalo Butt”.
• The Rescuers (1977) – The line “tomorrow is another day” is one of several references to titles of songs from earlier Disney films.
• Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977) (TV Movie) – Emmet Otterton (Mrs. Otterton’s missing husband) is a play on the title character of the Jim Henson film.
• Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – In the scene where Judy is trying to start the subway car, the car starts, begins to shut down only for Judy to bang on the console to restart it.
• 48 Hrs. (1982) – Cop & convict must overcome their differences to catch a criminal in 48 hours.
• Full Metal Jacket (1987) – The Drill Instructor’s manner of speech is reminiscent of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman.
• Another 48 Hrs. (1990) – Cop & convict uncover a drug conspiracy.
• Aladdin (1992) – One of the songs on Judy’s MP3-Player is refering to “Arabian Nights” from Aladdin.
• The Lion King (1994) – One of the songs on Judy’s MP3-Player is refering to “Can you feel the love tonight” from The Lion King.
• Speed (1994) – The fight on top of the subway train.
• PB&J Otter (1998) (TV Series) – Judy’s phone says PB and J which is the name of the show.
• House on Haunted Hill (1999) – Cliffside Asylum
• The Wire (2002) (TV Series) – Police Chief Bogo wears the same type of glasses as Stringer Bell. Both characters are played by Idris Elba.
• Inside Man (2006) – Judy uses a digital recorder concealed in a pen to capture incriminating evidence, just as Denzel Washington’s character did.
• Breaking Bad (2008) (TV Series) – Lab scene inspired by Breaking Bad including a mention to the original characters.
• WALL·E (2008) – When Judy is first arriving in the city, there is a glimpse of the Buy N’ Large building.
• Avatar (2009) – The scene where Judy is being chased by the panther.
• Rizzoli & Isles (2010) (TV Series) -One of the ZPD officers at morning roll call is named Grizzoli.
• Tangled (2010) – One of Duke’s bootleg movies is “Wrangled”.
• Horrible Bosses (2011) -Jason Bateman’s character uses a digital recorder to incriminate the bad guy.
• Wreck-It Ralph (2012) – One of Duke’s bootleg movies is “Wreck-It Rhino”.
• Frozen (2013) – Judy has the song “Let It Goat” on her music player as seen on the train. When the train passes through Tundratown, you can see two young elephants wearing clothes similar to those worn by Anna and Elsa. In Frozen, the Duke of Weselton’s name is mispronounced as “Weaseltown.” In Zootopia, Duke Weaselton’s name is mispronounced as “Weselton.” Alan Tudyk voiced both characters. Chief Bogo’s line to Judy that ends “So let it go”. One of Duke’s bootleg movies is “Floatzen 2”.
• Big Hero 6 (2014) – The calendar in Chief Bogo’s office has a picture of San Fransokyo. One of Duke’s bootleg movies is “Pig Hero 6”.
• Moana (2016) – One of Duke’s bootleg DVDs is an animal version of this film.
• Gigantic (2018) – One of Duke’s bootleg DVDs is an animal version of this film.
• Frozen 2 – One of the bootleg DVDs “that isn’t out yet” is a parody of Frozen 2.

Referenced in 

• Big Hero 6 (2014) – Honey Lemon’s smart phone case looks like Nick Wilde and Hiro and Baymax fly past a movie poster of that film.
• The Big Bang Theory: The Locomotion Reverberation (2017) (TV Episode)
  Bernadette mentions the movie by name.
• American Housewife: The Man Date (2017) (TV Episode)
  Poster shown at movie theater.