Zootopia! Never been so excited for a CG film

[fuzzygobo]

First movie in a while you can take someone MY age to go see! 8)

 

[Drtooth]

I don't see why Disney has to be so neglectful of its TV princesses (apart from Sofia, but then again, she is from a preschool show). But hey, Star's got it easy compared to Eilonwy from The Black Cauldron.

Still ticked Mattel didn't release a Mira Nova with the rest of Buzz Lightyear's Star Command.

But yeah, I've always had that problem with Disney Princesses. I can see where the Madam O's comes in. The movies make all the princesses proactive, then they turn them (even Merida) into vapid tea drinking in their dresses merchandising pawns. I love how Ralph, Hero 6, and Zootopia are able to create strong female characters that aren't princess toys. And though Vanelope was really a Princess, she didn't want the title and hardly acted like one (and she was all the better for it). It's not hard to make a movie that appeals to both boys and girls, and Disney has proven that for the most part. I'm always loving something unconventional like Emperor's New Groove, Chicken Little, Lilo and Stitch, and the like more than most of the Princess based films. Though I do love Aladdin, and it's subsequent TV show, and that's considered a Princess film because of Jasmine.

But anyway, yeah. That's why Zootopia really strikes me. No fairy tales, just an original animated story with original characters. Judy seems to be the heroine Disney needs instead of something to just tampoprint on plastic pretend tea sets.

 

[charlietheowl]

I'm looking forward to this one because the previews show how the world is adapted to creatures of all sizes, and I've always found the logistics of an anthro world to be pretty interesting. Plus the animation looks awesome too.

 

[beaker]

I find that Frozen gets too much hate and too much love at the same time. If there's anything I can respect about it, it's that if they made it a traditional (read: formulaic) Disney Princess movie it would have sucked more. I mean, Animaniacs pegged Disney for that back in their Pocadottas parody. I have a respect for it in that aspect, but Disney should rope it in with the merchandise.

Besides. Star Butterfly is Disney's best princess to date. And she's a TV show.

This movie looks to be a smash (or at least it should be), and I really hope this thing becomes more than just a movie. Zootopia sounds like it could work as a television series if done right. Still think Big Hero deserves a TV or comic book series. I loved that movie, but it seems that it could have been the framework for something bigger.

Well for some reason, even though Disney owns Marvel, Disney decided not to brand or market Big Hero 6 as a Marvel film...Even tho IT IS a Marvel comic book. So weird. Heck Stan Lee had a cameo in BH6.
Dr Tooth, have you noticed that the Disney films you and I really like, seem to end up box office disappointments? Maybe it was you, but I sort of remember us agreeing that Emperors New Groove, Fantasia 2000 and Pixar's Up failed to capture the public's attention in the way other Disney films did. Heck I love Disney's first NON Pixar 3D film everyone forgot about, Chicken Little. While modern post Ratatouie films enjoy that lush but doughy look, something about Disney's non Pixar 3D films look even more gorgeous for some reason. I think we both agree Robots is an amazing looking 3d film, even by todays standards. And I say Rango is the best looking 3d cg kids film, ever.

Sadly there is no Zootopia video game or comic book, let alone tv show planned. But if, if it's a success in any measure that could change. I bought all the Zootopia figures and playsets at Target and Toys R Us, and they're really amazing. Sadly Up, Bolt and Emperors New Groove had no merch. So there's that.

One more thing, is it me or did the last few Pixar films tank in public perception? I don't know a soul who liked Good Dinosaur, Brave or Cars 2...tho I did sort of like Inside Out.

now yes, I do not like modern pop music, but I thought the footage in the new Shakira official video for Zootopia was amazing. Not since 2009 Up have I felt teary eyed watching heartfelt chemistry in a Disney film

 

[beaker]

Still ticked Mattel didn't release a Mira Nova with the rest of Buzz Lightyear's Star Command.

But yeah, I've always had that problem with Disney Princesses. I can see where the Madam O's comes in. The movies make all the princesses proactive, then they turn them (even Merida) into vapid tea drinking in their dresses merchandising pawns. I love how Ralph, Hero 6, and Zootopia are able to create strong female characters that aren't princess toys. And though Vanelope was really a Princess, she didn't want the title and hardly acted like one (and she was all the better for it). It's not hard to make a movie that appeals to both boys and girls, and Disney has proven that for the most part. I'm always loving something unconventional like Emperor's New Groove, Chicken Little, Lilo and Stitch, and the like more than most of the Princess based films. Though I do love Aladdin, and it's subsequent TV show, and that's considered a Princess film because of Jasmine.

But anyway, yeah. That's why Zootopia really strikes me. No fairy tales, just an original animated story with original characters. Judy seems to be the heroine Disney needs instead of something to just tampoprint on plastic pretend tea sets.

To be fair, Princess properties by the haus of maus aren't at all supposed to appeal to folks like us. Same with the (often less than stellar) Disney Jr programming(tho part of me likes the weirdness in Sheriff Callies Wild West design) Lilo and Stitch and Emperors New Groove(and Id add Tarzan) had a lot of interesting concepts, and animation that maybe didnt resonate with people like it should have. I wont include Treasure Planet or Atlantis as those just plain sucked. We all made fun of straight to vhs/dvd disney cheapquels, but I now miss those.

Top 5 things tho I love about what Im seeing and reading about Zootopia

- it's pg, not g
- it's the most modern Disney film ever. Whip smart script, tackles a lot of
hot button social issues some parents may not even be comfortable with(but in a sly way), makes fun of virtually every mainstream social trend in America(smart phone addiction, big box stores, uber, social media, marketing, etc)
- stars a female protagonist in a way that will strongly appeal to BOTH genders and people of all ages(unlike Frozen, and hate to say it, unlike Tangled)
- The exquisite color palette, design, look is just gorgeous
- finally, the chemistry. from all the clips and trailers Ive seen, I can tell I'll be grinning ear to ear with the chemistry between not just Hopps and Wilde, but all the supporting characters as well. To me this is the mad cap inclusive world Wreck it Ralph wanted to be but failed at, and perhaps a true heir to Roger Rabbit. But of course, we'll see! I could end up not being in love with the film, but so far Im just loving all the trailers in a way I havent with modern Disney

 

[Drtooth]

Well for some reason, even though Disney owns Marvel, Disney decided not to brand or market Big Hero 6 as a Marvel film...Even tho IT IS a Marvel comic book. So weird. Heck Stan Lee had a cameo in BH6.

I never really understood that either, but to the best of my assumptions, I'd say that Disney wanted to keep it separate from a Marvel comic brand because there were so many Marvel films released that year on the part of Fox and Sony having their pieces of the Marvel pie before the sale went down. Plus, I hear the original comics were just thin parodies of Sentai shows, so Disney completely changed the characters anyway. Still, I know it was a Marvel movie, everyone knew it was a Marvel movie, Disney was fooling themselves, but I'd get that the mainstream audience probably never heard of this series.

Still, it's a shame they didn't relaunch the comics with those versions of the characters. This really had the potential to be a boy brand every way that Frozen is a girl's brand itself (it's treated separately from the other Princesses, actually), but I guess they have Star Wars and the rest of Marvel, so that's enough somehow.

To be fair, Princess properties by the haus of maus aren't at all supposed to appeal to folks like us. Same with the (often less than stellar) Disney Jr programming(tho part of me likes the weirdness in Sheriff Callies Wild West design) Lilo and Stitch and Emperors New Groove(and Id add Tarzan) had a lot of interesting concepts, and animation that maybe didnt resonate with people like it should have.

I know that there will always be little girls that like little girly things. Still, I never got the whole proactive female role that most princesses had after Belle, only to just play the stereotype in the merchandising.

Though I do give credit to their new line of preschool programming not being as mindlessly robotic and faux-interactive like Dora. How that became a legitimate model for kid's television will always elude me.

 

[The Count]

*Lobs hand grenade pumpkin bomb in the direction of Dorka and her new Guycrap commercial. Talk about doubling down on the crap factor.

Dunno if I'll be able to get to the theaters to watch Zootopia opening weekend or even at all. Never got out to Episode VII, The Boars A-Brakin'.
Heh, that sounds like a bad parody.
You should have seen the original!

Personally I'm looking forward with great excitement to Coco next year and Night on Bald Mountain whenever it's scheduled for release.

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

So excited!

My favorite character would have to be:

 

[Muppy]

I'm in the "I'll wait until the reviews come out" boat. The movie looks decent and the plot seems like it's never been done before, but the trailers haven't really made me laugh out loud. Hopefully the characters will be good enough to over look the comedy ...

 

[beaker]

awww, loving "Mayoral Assistant Bellweather", the lady sheep character

Some early reviews coming in. What I'm reading is that the movie is essentially a take on the sort of 40s-50s noir vibe of LA Confidential, Chinatown, or even Amblin/Disney's Roger Rabbit mixed with heavy doses of socio-political themes and a lot of good chemistry
http://www.slashfilm.com/zootopia-reviews/