ZOOTOPIA (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Clark Spencer

Story by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, 

Jared Bush, Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, 

Joshie Trinidad, Jim Reardon

Screenplay by Jared Bush, Phil Johnston

Directed by Byron Howard,

 Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman,

Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Tommy Chong,

Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, Shakira

Disney’s Zootopia is the latest from the main mouse studio to anthropomorphize animals and have them burrow into our hearts.  Jason Bateman stars as fantastic fox Nicholas P. “Nick” Wilde opposite the real star of Zootopia, Ginnifer Goodwin as Zootopia Police Department’s first bunny rabbit officer Judy Hopps.

In a world where predator and prey have put aside their differences and mostly live in peace side by side in the city of Zootopia, some mammals have gone missing and Judy sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery in fear of losing her job.

The resolution and detail of the best animation technology and talent in the world is on display here with Zootopia, as the Disney machine keeps on rolling. 

Zootopia is a funny movie but not without drama, as the city of Zootopia is revealed to us as a whole new world where animals dominate!

Cleverly, the movie sets us up with young bunny Judy in a school play that reflects the rules of the new society we are introduced to in Zootopia. If only more fantasy movies gave a wink and five minutes of exposition at the top we’d all leave the theatre a little less rattled!

Sure, that’s for the kids who will no doubt be watching this over and over on iPads in the backseats on road trips, but for an adult, the explanation serves to rationalize our own obsession with scooping up Zootopia toys from the aisles of Target. We adults will be able to say, “I love THE MESSAGE Zootopia has to teach kids, that we can all GET ALONG”, in the same breath as we snatch the last plush Judy Hopps off the shelf—leaving a snot-nosed kid in a carriage crying because we took his favorite new toy.

Moving on, Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) is mocked by her parents and her 237 rabbit siblings that she wants to become a police officer. These jobs are typically occupied by bigger, stronger species. Through pure will and determination she trains her way through Police Academy (in a Full Metal Jacket montage) and earns her stripes to move away from her parent’s carrot farm in Bunnyburrow to the big city to be assigned to Zootopia Police Department.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE FIRST LOOK

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble on Disney XD debuts this Sunday, May 26th. Marvel Television has released the first half of the one hour premier on exclusively on iTunesfor free for fans to get a first look at the show. The cancellation of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes last November made some fans upset, but Jeph Loeb and the Man of Action Team have set us up for another smash hit. We’re guessing the 2009 Disney buyout of Marvel is finally flexing that animation muscle.

 
Marvel TV has released an early preview for Avengers Assemble. This version of The Avengers is more in line with the look and feel Marvel NOW! comics and the Ultimate Spider-Man television series. Costumes are updated to match Marvel’s The Avengers movie as well.

The last episode of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was a practical Secret War of guest stars including The Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and Wasp. The Avengers defeatGalactus and the Earth was saved at the last minute as Iron Man and Thor knocked the planet eater into the Negative Zone.

IRON MAN - Avengers Assemble

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes aligned itself with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a way, based on the Robert Downey Jr. voice clone Eric Loomis as Iron Man, the movie responsible for kicking off the franchise.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - Avengers Assemble

The first season had guest stars and the introduction of deep cut Marvel/Jack Kirby creation Black Panther, and Marvel/Roy Thomas Avengers The Vision and Ms. Marvel.

The show was good, not great. Certainly this is a step up from the young generation Muppet Baby versions of The Avengers in Super Hero Squad.

HAWKEYE - Avengers Assemble

DC took a chance of it’s own on investing in a darker-tone teenage superhero team adventure with Young Justice, existing in a universe all it’s own.

The chance was all too risky, and Warner decided not to renew Young Justice for a third season. Fanboys cried when they also cancelled the strangely CGI animated Green Lantern: The Animated Series Saturday morning show on the same day. From DC, we’re promised a CGI version of Beware The Batman starring Bruce with Katana as his sidekick facing off against villains like Professor Pygand Magpie. Fans of the ’90s Bruce Timm Animated series may have problems adjusting to the look of the show.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week! July 27, 2011

COMICS

LeaguePodcast favorite Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise, Echo) delivers his highly anticipated dip into the horror genre with Rachel Rising #1. Rachel has returned from the grave to find her number one squeeze is shacking up with another babe. It’s your standard zombie romance revenge tale in this premier ish!. …Venom #5 puts war hero Flash Thompson in the suit of goo and reboots the 90s web-villian as a government weapon! Peter Parker and Flash set aside differences in this Marvel Team-Up for the greater good. … Fozzy thinks he’s got jokes, but he may have to enroll in one of those embarrassing improv classes to improve his routine. Disney and Marvel present the all-ages Meet The Muppets #1 all-variety issue with bonus Pigs in Space skit!
Picks from week from LeaguePodcast.com, natch!

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