Saturday - Zootropolis trip
I had an enjoyable afternoon out with the goblin child today. We went to see Zootropolis, which was excellent. At it's core, it's a mismatched buddy cop movie, so not the most original idea, but everything about it is so well done.
It tackles contemporary issues about stereotypes, intolerance and the politics of fear (using a none-too-subtle allegory) in a surprisingly grown-up way. Judy Hopps is not your typical Disney heroine, either in the style of the princesses of old or their modern "Look how feisty I am" counterparts. She's much more rounded and interesting than that. In fact, that's true of all the characters, major and minor.
The world of Zootropolis itself may not stand up to scrutiny (Just what do the carnivores eat? How does the climate shift so radically between zones?), but it's as detailed and immersive as you could wish for. The gags feel effortless unlike so many cartoons where they come across rather forced. This is Disney reminding us why they're so successful and showing the competition how it should be done. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's their finest film for a decade. There's some nicely subversive jokes as well: "Life's not some cartoon musical where you can just sing a song and start living your dreams. Let it go!"
After the film, the goblin and I hit Meadowhell, where we managed a successful haul of build-your-own minifigs and other goodies from the Lego store. Between cinema, shops and home we read a significant chunk of Harry Potter, debated with random strangers about the merits of being able to apparate versus being able to drive, and had lots of nerdy conversations about D&D and how castle designs evolved with the development of cannon. It was a good day, and thanks to Ed and Krissy for unexpected dinner at the end of it too. :o)
It tackles contemporary issues about stereotypes, intolerance and the politics of fear (using a none-too-subtle allegory) in a surprisingly grown-up way. Judy Hopps is not your typical Disney heroine, either in the style of the princesses of old or their modern "Look how feisty I am" counterparts. She's much more rounded and interesting than that. In fact, that's true of all the characters, major and minor.
The world of Zootropolis itself may not stand up to scrutiny (Just what do the carnivores eat? How does the climate shift so radically between zones?), but it's as detailed and immersive as you could wish for. The gags feel effortless unlike so many cartoons where they come across rather forced. This is Disney reminding us why they're so successful and showing the competition how it should be done. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's their finest film for a decade. There's some nicely subversive jokes as well: "Life's not some cartoon musical where you can just sing a song and start living your dreams. Let it go!"
After the film, the goblin and I hit Meadowhell, where we managed a successful haul of build-your-own minifigs and other goodies from the Lego store. Between cinema, shops and home we read a significant chunk of Harry Potter, debated with random strangers about the merits of being able to apparate versus being able to drive, and had lots of nerdy conversations about D&D and how castle designs evolved with the development of cannon. It was a good day, and thanks to Ed and Krissy for unexpected dinner at the end of it too. :o)