“The Art of ‘Zootopia 2’ by Kalikolehua Hurley - book review
Category: Books and Music
The latest book in the “Art of” series is The Art of Zootopia 2, which brings readers into the making of the Disney instant classic animated film. This movie has captured the hearts of viewers young and old, and the book is a great way to relive the story as well as discover what went into making this new film.
“Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 64th feature film, Zootopia 2, transports audiences back to Zootopia, a utopian city built by animals for animals, where anyone can be anything,” Hurley writes in the book. And teaming an adorable and headstrong rabbit with a street-wise fox is just one example.
Judy Hopps is a favorite characters for kids. She is dedicated, brave, and definitely cute. Her partner Nick is sometimes just along for the ride, but in this story they work together again to help all the animals and bring justice to Zootopia.
The book looks at how the storytellers researched animals of all kinds, and in this film they added reptiles, which provided a new aspect to Zootopia as well as an additional task for the filmmakers who managed to create some interesting and likable reptiles.
With all the steps involved in bringing this film to the screen, the book is jammed packed with digital images and information about the characters and their environments.
Fans of Nick and Judy will enjoy looking at a lot of images of this crime-fighting duo. Along with the pictures there is editorial content delving into the story, the characters, and the process of making the movie.
With commentary from animators throughout the pages, readers get an insight into the way the animators thought about the characters to bring them to light for the viewers. Referring to Judy and Nick, Kira Lehtomaki, Head of Animation says, “In animation, we emphasize their differences on screen through their actions, postures, and mannerisms.”
The pages are filled with insight into each of the characters as well as countless images that show how they evolved through the animation process to the final characters we see on screen.
Insight into the scenes brings readers into the mindset of the animators. For instance, Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, Associate Production Designer, says about the Zootopia Gala, “It’s vibe is John Wick, Mission Impossible, and The Godfather meets The Met Gala but on ice.” That’s something to think about the next time watching the film, which will be out on Blu-ray and Digital in the near future.
There are cute comments by the animators which add to the enjoyment of the book, however the images are what many people want in an “Art of” book, and this one delivers on that. For those who have seen the movie, these pages bring back the fun of the film with so much more.
What will strike readers as they flip through the pages are the colors. The colorful images almost jump off the page. These digital images show just what the animators were thinking when they created the costumes, scenery, characters, expressions, and all the objects – big and small.
The theme of the story is that even though we might be different, we do not have to be against each other. “Just as Judy and Nick learn that seeing and accepting their differences makes them not only better partners but also closer friends, maybe in our own world, we can begin to see that our differences don’t have to divide us. Rather, if we let them, maybe they can even bring us together and make us stronger,” says Producer Yvette Merino. In today’s world of chaos, that is something important to keep in mind.
The Art of Zootopia 2 is a wonderful addition to “Art of” libraries, or even just for fans of Judy, Nick, and the gang in Zootopia.
- Publisher : Chronicle Books
- ISBN-10 : 1797233629
- ISBN-13 : 978-179723362
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.