Zootopia

[Merusk]

Wow, this was fantastic. Funny while being cute at the same time. Lots of great jokes for adults and a twist that was obvious but not totally telegraphed.

I think this is Disney's best cartoon in about 15 years. (Although I didn't watch Frozen.)

[Lakov_Sanite]

Wow, this was fantastic. Funny while being cute at the same time. Lots of great jokes for adults and a twist that was obvious but not totally telegraphed.

I think this is Disney's best cartoon in about 15 years. (Although I didn't watch Frozen.)

It was way better than frozen. I was so surprised with the subject matter it tackled while still being an enjoyable 80's buddy cop movie. 

[Ironwood]

Frozen sucks balls.

[Merusk]

I wish, I'd have it on a loop.

[jgsugden]

I wish, I'd have it on a loop.

Show a little initiative. I'm sure there are at least 11 porn parodies with ball sucking. 13 if you count licking.

[Fordel]

Took my nephew and niece to see this, it's very cute. The little bunny cops enthusiasm is infectious and endearing.

It's another quality Disney kids movie. The animation is top, the jokes cross age brackets, the music is another ear worm wiggling it's way inside your brain.

It's going to make them elventy jillion dollars no doubt.

-edit-

Oh and the moose newscaster at the end was Peter Mansbridge, as Peter Moosebridge  (He's a extremely well respected reporter for the CBC )

[Samwise]

I never thought I'd see a Disney movie about ethnic cleansing.  Definitely their best in a very long time.

[Ragnoros]

I'm of two minds about Zootopia. On the one hand it was clearly made with some care by a fairly talented group of people and brought up tough and important topics while still being fun and enjoyable. On the other hand, it relied on one of the oldest schticks in the book of buddy cop movie, and had some really by the numbers gags and uninspired routines (the Godfather ripoff in particular was pretty shameless and lazy).

[Phildo]

Oh and the moose newscaster at the end was Peter Mansbridge, as Peter Moosebridge  (He's a extremely well respected reporter for the CBC )

The newscaster is different depending on the country in which you see the film.

[Hutch]

A tanuki? Good thing he's behind a desk, amirite.

[Fordel]

Hah, that's super neat!

[Khaldun]

I thought this was very well done. I think the best part is the big switch in the dramatic situation underneath the story at the press conference. That managed to give the story new stakes in a way that wasn't preachy but that made some important points.

[Bunk]

Saw it Sunday. Quite enjoyed it. Got a kick out of the little kid at the back of the theatre yelling "Mommy, I don't like this movie!" after one the jump scares.

Honestly thought the biggest weak spot in the movie was Bateman. Just thought his voiceover and really the whole character was kinda flat.

[Khaldun]

Was listening today at lunch to two students talking about the film. They both liked it but then about half the conversation was about two things:

1) What do the predators eat, anyway?
2) Hey, if this is an anti-racist parable, where are the cross-species couples?

We talked about #1 after the movie. Our theories:

a) The predators eat non-mammal animals.
b) The predators eat non-intelligent domesticated mammals (there are no cows, chickens, etc. seen in the film, though there is a horse seen at one point)
c) The predators are vegetarians now.
d) (My favorite): the predators eat domesticated non-intelligent humans and other primates (there's no primates in the film at all).

[Lakov_Sanite]

My boss and I were talking about cats/dogs and I mentioned in a world without humans cats/dogs/cows and anything else domesticated wouldn't exist.

[Khaldun]

Hah, it turns out that the filmmakers have an answer for this that is actually Easter-Egged into the film: carnivores eat insect protein and also plant-based proteins. There's apparently a box of "Bug-Burgers" glimpsed at one point.

[pxib]

Theoretically the animals could have domesticated pets and food, but that would muddy the water with ethical vegetarian propaganda. In theory, having a dog walked by a wolf is no strange than having a chimp walked by a human... but it makes people as uncomfortable as Indiana Jones eating monkey's brains from within the heads of monkeys. Insects (and fish) are generally alien enough that people don't mind them not being under the Talking Animal umbrella.

Interestingly, and cogent to the movie, predators normally fit outside that same umbrella. Many a talking-animal movie, Disney being among the repeat offenders, has had predators as mindless, unspeaking destroyers.

[Hutch]

Indy could have been served the brain of a cow, pig, chicken, octopus, whatever. The presentation would have still squicked out the audience.

[Lakov_Sanite]

It was interesting that in the movie even before the crimes there was still a bias against predators, as seen in Nick's flashback.  So the world isn't perfect from the get-go which I really appreciated because otherwise the evil scheme wouldn't have made sense for how well it worked.

[Khaldun]

It's actually a setting that's pretty durable--I can see them making some more movies in the world they established and having them not just feel like cheap for-the-kids sequels.

[Fordel]

They'd probably turn it into a TV series if the animation wasn't so damn expensive.

[Ginaz]

Was listening today at lunch to two students talking about the film. They both liked it but then about half the conversation was about two things:

1) What do the predators eat, anyway?
2) Hey, if this is an anti-racist parable, where are the cross-species couples?

 

[Rendakor]

Was listening today at lunch to two students talking about the film. They both liked it but then about half the conversation was about two things:

1) What do the predators eat, anyway?
2) Hey, if this is an anti-racist parable, where are the cross-species couples?

 

We prefer the term "interspecies erotica."

[Khaldun]

Actually, I dunno, political correctness aside, I did find myself wondering about it a bit--the movie almost invites the question.

But also, yes, this movie is more or less a furry's most desperate dreams come to life, in a somewhat-unintended way.

[Setanta]

I took the daughter to see this today - we both thoroughly enjoyed it. That sums it up for me, I was entertained :)

[SurfD]

I thought it was kind of interesting also that they constantly refer to the missing animal cases as "missing Mammal".  Leading to the possibility that there MAY be other animal types (reptile anyone?) out there.   Maybe they  have their own cities, with zootopia being a "Mammal" only area for whatever reason (too much complication with mixing the environments to support everyone simultaneously maybe?)

[Lakov_Sanite]

The creators said in an interview reptiles and birds had their own cities, I can only assume how complex a bird oriented city would be.

[Merusk]

I thought it was kind of interesting also that they constantly refer to the missing animal cases as "missing Mammal".  Leading to the possibility that there MAY be other animal types (reptile anyone?) out there.   Maybe they  have their own cities, with zootopia being a "Mammal" only area for whatever reason (too much complication with mixing the environments to support everyone simultaneously maybe?)

That would be a silly reason to give. It's not like there's examples of mammals, reptiles, avians, insects, etc living in those biomes together in reality, right? 

[DevilsAdvocate25]

Was listening today at lunch to two students talking about the film. They both liked it but then about half the conversation was about two things:

1) What do the predators eat, anyway?
2) Hey, if this is an anti-racist parable, where are the cross-species couples?

We talked about #1 after the movie. Our theories:

a) The predators eat non-mammal animals.
b) The predators eat non-intelligent domesticated mammals (there are no cows, chickens, etc. seen in the film, though there is a horse seen at one point)
c) The predators are vegetarians now.
d) (My favorite): the predators eat domesticated non-intelligent humans and other primates (there's no primates in the film at all).

My daughter and I wonder the exact same thing in reference to #1. Our conversation reminded us that we see the fox selling ice cream as his big scam, which led us to the question: Do any of the animals drink milk? If so, where does it come from?

[MediumHigh]

I suspect that the mammals united and enslaved and farm the non mammals. Of course this movie wouldn't be for kids if they put anymore thought to it.

[Soulflame]

Soy or almond milk.

[Sir T]

Plants have feelings too ya know.

[SurfD]

One of the buildings in the intro train ride through Tundra Town was labeled as "fishmarket square" or something very similar, so maybe there is a good chance that the carnivores all eat a lot of fish.  Course, that does  make you sort of question the building right next to it that was very clearly labled "blubber chew", as I am not aware of any non-mammal aquatic animals that produce blubber.

[pxib]

We don't see any porpoises or pinnipeds in the movie, so perhaps it's not morally quesitonable to eat them. Alternately, perhaps those are tailings from a  porpoise and pinniped liposuction clinic.

Blubber Chews: 100% Organic, Medical Grade!

[Setanta]

The lack of humans in the film leads me to think that Soylent Green is the diet of Zootopia.

Hidden behind all the cuteness is battery farms of humans just waiting to be harvested for food. I might tell my 7yo that :D