Oscars Preview: 30 Movies to Watch Before the Nominations Come Out!
By Emily Scott
Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in Zootopia, Screencap via Disney
Zootopia
What it’s about:
Judy Hopps is a young, ambitious rabbit who worked very hard to break into police work, a predator-dominated field. She graduated as valedictorian of her police academy and lands a coveted spot working in Zootopia, a multi-climate metropolis where predator animals and prey animals peacefully coexist. But when she arrives, she is given meter maid duty, despite her obvious competence and work ethic. When Judy hears about a missing otter, she is given the assignment under the condition that if she fails to find him in 48 hours, she must resign. She teams up with Nick, a fox who knew the otter, and begins on a journey that will reveal all the hypocrisies and secrets of Zootopia. Judy is the only one who can reveal these problems and reinforce the greater good, once and for all.
Major Players:
Byron Howard and Rich Moore directed Zootopia, with co-directing help from Jared Bush. The former two have experience with directing some of Disney’s latest offerings, including Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph. The voice cast is made up of highly well-known actors, including Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy, Jason Bateman as Nick, Idris Elba as Chief Bogo, and Jenny Slate as Bellweather.
What the Critics are Saying:
With an even higher Rotten Tomatoes rating than Moana (at 98%), critics are praising the intelligence and chutzpah of Zootopia. As Peter Travers of Rolling Stone writes, “The last thing you’d expect from a new Disney animated marshmallow is balls. But, hot damn, Zootopia comes ready to party hard.” A.V. Club’s Jesse Hassenger makes note of the real-world messages embedded in the metaphors of Zootopia, noting that it is “…surprisingly and often delightfully specific about its far-from-buried subtext, about the way different groups share certain spaces in this world.”
Possible Nominations:
Best Animated Feature