Zootopia (2016) or How Sad Happy Endings Really are

And, yes, this is the last film I've watched. It was couple of days ago in a poor neighbourhood in Thessaloniki, Greece. There's a lovely open air cinema over there, named after one of our 'national actresses', Tzeni Karezi (strangely enough, we have two of those, the first one being Aliki Vougiouklaki, you might have never heard them if you're not somehow related to Greece, but it's ok). Back to the screening: it had free entrance and it has sold out, meaning every single chair was taken and too many kids and families were sitting on the floor or on any random chair-shaped corner. I did the same and it was fun!

But, I couldn't help noticing that all the discourse on unpleasant, unchangeable topics in the world was omnipresent: Zootopia (2016) is not exactly a light film, neither a childrens' film for that sake. Gender inequality, racism, bullying, social prejudice, power games were the spine of the storyline, which were of course solved nicely in the course of the film. How easy it is to solve major social issues in films, how hard in real life. It struck me, that no matter where I go, no matter what I see, the struggles of humanity cannot escape me. As a metaphor, as an allusion, as a symbol, the arts are going circles around those struggles, trying to help in the so much needed resolution. Or just trying to be didactic? I wonder if they achieve any of those. I wonder if any resolution will ever come, really.

It was a pleasant film, though with a fair share of humour and suspense. I loved the graphics and I even loved the Greek dubbing! We do have some quality actors and voice talent around here, I knew that much, but I was still pleasantly surprised. Way to go, guys. Let's hope the world as we know it will solve its problems one way or another.

* What? You wanna know what it's all about? Just go watch it, ok? But, ok, it goes like this: there's this girl rabbit who joins the police force as a trainee, then continues only because she finds a helper in the face of a boy fox who is supporting her in solving a certain mystery. Except for, she doesn't solve it, she messes up the way humans do and then...well, she keeps trying. Happy ending, hurray, and there's even a Shakira song in the end for your ears only.