Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Well, we ended up revisiting ‘Zootopia’ for the second time in nine years, because a friend hadn’t seen it and we were planning on watching the sequel in theater together. And it makes sense why Disney decided to make a sequel after almost a decade – the primary characters remain just as entertaining as before. All of us who loved the 2016 film, wouldn’t mind watching them again in a follow-up tale.
The story follows Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), an endlessly optimistic rabbit from the farming town of Bunnyburrow, who dreams of becoming the first rabbit police officer in the sprawling metropolis of Zootopia. She sweats her way to become a trailblazer cop, but is relegated to traffic duty – a total bummer for someone who graduated top of her class.
Determined to prove herself, Judy gets herself onto a missing-persons case and teams up with a smooth-talking con fox, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), to crack the mystery. Their case is complicated further when perfectly ‘normal’ animals in the city turn feral and start attacking others, sparking fear against traditionally predatory species.
Judy Hopps wears her optimism on her floppy ears, a wide-eyed bunny chasing dreams far bigger than anyone expects of her. Nick Wilde, on the other hand, slinks in with sarcasm and street smarts, delivering laughs through his smooth-talking hustler routine. Their partnership is akin to a ‘chor-police’ (conman-cop) combination, topped up with their ‘predatory vs prey’ divide, which becomes the comedic backbone of Zootopia.
Zootopia itself is imagined as a utopian melting pot, a city where predators and prey live side by side without fear or hierarchy. Lions, wolves, foxes, rabbits, and zebras all share the same streets, turning the city into a vivid metaphor for diversity, coexistence, and the hope that differences don’t have to lead to division.
The animation is vivid, fun, colorful, and absolutely delightful, combined with upbeat music and cutesy characters. Idris Elba lends his commanding voice to Chief Bogo, Judy’s stern and perpetually unimpressed boss, while J.K. Simmons’ towering Mayor Lionheart cuts an imposing figure, competent, confident, and casually dismissive of his assistant, Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate), a sheep.
My favorite character though? Clawhauser (Nate Torrence), a chubby cheetah, and the friendly receptionist at Zootopia’s police headquarters, who loves watching music videos of pop-star Gazelle (Shakira in a fun little cameo) in his free time.
Judy and Nick go on a thoroughly fun adventure to solve their case, meeting all sorts of curious animals, including a hilarious mafia boss fashioned on the lines of Vito Corleone from the ‘Godfather’. From fighting criminals to prejudice, the two unconventional partners have more than it seems.
‘Zootopia’ may be bright, playful, and made for younger audiences, but its exploration of diversity, ambition, greed, and prejudice ensures that adults will find just as much to chew on. It’s a film that genuinely works for all ages.
Rating: 8.5 on 10. Watch ‘Zootopia’ on Disney+/JioHotstar
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