Zootopia (2016)

Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush

Screenplay written by Jared Bush, Phil Johnston

Story by Jennifer Lee, Phil Johnston, Josie Trinidad, Jim Reardon, Jared Bush, Rich Moore and Byron Howard

Starring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba and Jenny Slate

Easily the best animated film of 2016-- this film is great for kids and adults all around. Zootopia tells the stories of animals in a very humanized seeming world, with many social issues that we are dealing with as a society today. It also has many genuine laughs, clever animal stereotypes and so much more. 

Zootopia is a mammal metroplis that is home to the largest of elephants, the smallest of mice, the slyest of fox and the slowest of sloths. Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is a bunny who is new to the Zootopia police department-- the first bunny they have ever had on the force actually. Hopps soon learns how hard it is to be on the police force, and that she is constantly being underestimated because she is a small "cute" bunny (cute seems to be a hateful slur to bunnies in this universe). Set on a track to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. She teams up with a wily fox, Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve the big case that even the chief of police (Idris Elba) cant crack. 

The film dawns on some pretty heavy topics such as racial and social prejudices. It sheds light on certain biological predispositions to crime from certain species. It states that everyone should have the chance to change what people think of them. The main characters face so much prejudice themselves, as Judy is always being overlooked in what she's capable of because of her stature and generally cute nature. Nick falls under that umbrella of a species who is predisposed to crime because he is a sly and sketchy fox. This movie sets out to prove that you cant change who you are but you can change people's perceptions of you. While the adults watching this movie may have a lot of underlying messages to uncover, there are a lot of laughs for the kids too. What is great about the humor in this movie is that it works on so many levels. For example, the scene with the sloths. Children will buckle in laughter over the notorious slow moving animals, but what the adults will enjoy about that scene is all the sloths in Zootopia seem to be working at the notoriously slow DMV. 

Aside from the humor and overall message from this movie, it also just has very great animation. The layout of the fictional and animated metropolis of Zootopia is very cool looking-- as well as the animation of the characters. Plus, we get Shakira as a gazelle singing a new song. So much to love about this movie! 

8/10

La La Land (2016)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Written by Damien Chazelle 

Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, J.K. Simmons and John Legend

     I wanna start off by saying that I am not the biggest fan of musicals whatsoever- but with all the buzz over this film I decided to take the leap. Chazelle's beautiful modern day musical surpassed my expectations. With the director's past triumph (2014's Whiplash) and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as leads, how could it not be doomed for major success. 

     Set in Los Angeles- the city of hopes and dreams; we meet aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone) and jazz pianist, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). The two first meet after an extensive highway scene musical number, in a special circumstance. They continue running into each other after that which deems us all to believe it is fate that they be together.

      As the movie progresses it starts to feel like an homage to classical hollywood films and musicals. With the set design, costumes and the beautifully crafted score of the film- I felt like I was watching a musical from the golden age of film. I was reminded constantly this wasn't a film from the 20th century as the characters were driving in Prius's and talking on iPhones. The musical numbers in this film were spectacular. They fit in perfectly with the flow of the story. The expertly shot musical scenes never took away from the brilliant story of Sebastian and Mia. They aided in telling the budding love story between the two artists. They were visual spectacles to watch- with amazing choreography and a sea of colors. It was very fun to watch while being very aesthetically and audibly pleasing. 

     Aside from the extravagant yet not overdone musical numbers- Sebastian and Mia's story is what captivated me. Sebastian being a starving jazz musician, trying to keep the genre alive. Mia being an aspiring actress jumping from audition to audition. They were both real, genuine people facing struggle, and that made them very relatable. Their relationship was very genuine and they were constantly assisting each other in their ambitions. 

     The chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is everlasting. I already loved the pair after the romantic comedy, Crazy, Stupid Love- so to see the on-screen duo triumph in this film was no surprise. However, they bring an extra to the table this time around. Showing they are more than just a comical duo with amazing chemistry. Gosling showed us he can sing, dance and play the piano. While Stone demonstrated her strong singing (especially in the song, "Audition). The dynamic duo bring a level of class to their roles along with some comical scenes on top of the romance. Individually, they were amazing as well. Gosling showed levels of talent we didn't know we had while also playing a character with charm and confidence. Stone exudes a similar level of charm while also showing some raw emotion over the constant rejection she faces. Both amazing. Both deserving of the Academy Award. 

     La La Land is amazing. A brilliant storyline heightened by very pleasing music (I can't stop singing "City of Stars"). A musical journey everyone needs to take regardless of your opinion on films involving song and dance. 

I give La La Land a...

8/10