Zootopia appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. This was a great presentation.
At all times, sharpness looked crisp and detailed. If any softness materialized, I didn’t see it, as I thought the image remained tight and well-defined at all times.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects appeared, and the movie lacked edge haloes or artifacts. Of course, no print flaws popped up along the way.
In terms of colors, Zootopia went with a broad palette. All those animals allowed for a wide variety of hues, and the image brought them out in a vivid and dynamic manner. HDR added range and impact to the tones.
Blacks were dark and deep, and shadows seemed smooth and clear. Whites and contrast got a boost from HDR as well. This was a consistently fine image.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the film’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack didn’t deliver a ton of opportunities for auditory theatrics, but we got enough to bring the mix to life with reasonable frequency. These blended together well and created a nice package of sound components from all around the room.
Audio quality was solid. Music sounded dynamic and full, while speech was distinctive and natural, so no signs of edginess occurred.
Effects appeared accurate and showed nice range, with solid low-end when appropriate. Though the mix never really threatened to reach “A”-level, it became a definite “B+” track.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the original Blu-ray? The Atmos mix expanded the original in a moderate manner.
Visuals received the usual 4K boost, as this disc seemed better defined and showed stronger colors and blacks. While it didn’t blow away the Blu-ray, the 4K turned into a nice improvement.
For those with the necessary TV equipment, matters complicate due to the existence of a 3D version of Zootopia. If that group includes you, should you go 3D or 4K?
I’d opt for 4K. The 3D presentation offered a good sense of depth, but the quality boost from the 4K made it the winner – narrowly. You’ll do find either way so I can’t fault anyone who would prefer the 3D.
No extras appear on the 4K disc, but we get some on the included Blu-ray copy, and these start with Research: A True-Life Adventure. The nine-minute, 58-second piece offers info from directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard, co-writer/co-director Jared Bush and producer Clark Spencer.
As implied by the title, “Adventure” looks at the ways in which the filmmakers got to know real animals and how this work influenced the movie. It also looks at city design. At times, this feels a little like an ad for Disney theme parks, but this still becomes a good overview.
Next comes The Origin of an Animal Tale. It fills nine minutes, 15 seconds with comments from Howard, Spencer, Moore, Bush co-writer Phil Johnston and actor Ginnifer Goodwin.
“Tale” looks at the evolution of the movie’s story. We get a lot of intriguing insights as we learn about changes that occurred along the way.
During the 18-minute, 23-second Zoology: The Roundtables, we get three separate segments. Introduced by Goodwin, we find comments from character look development supervisor Michelle Robinson, head of characters and technical animation David Komorowski, technical supervisor Ernest Petti, production designer Dave Goetz, director of cinematography – layout Nathan Warner, director of cinematography – lighting Brian Leach, set extension supervisor John Murrah, art director of environments Matthias Lechner, head of environments Hans-Jorg Keim, visual effects supervisor Scott Kersavage, co-head of animation Tony Smeed, animation supervisors Jennifer Hager, Bobby Huth, Kira Lehtomaki, and Chad Sellers and crowd supervisor Moe El-Ali.
In these clips, we look at the design and creation of the movie’s characters, sets/environments, cinematography, and animation. Obviously, these stick with technical areas, and they do so pretty well. The “Roundtables” offer a nice overview of various filmmaking issues.
Scoretopia lasts four minutes, 59 seconds and provides notes from Howard, Moore, composer Michael Giacchino, musician Abe Laboriel Sr., and Disney COO John Lasseter. We get a quick look at the recording sessions in this fluffy little piece.
We see “Easter eggs” in the three-minute, 23-second ZPD Forensic Files. These let us see little winks and references that appear in Zootopia. It’s a fun compilation.
A music video follows. This accompanies “Try Everything” by Shakira and it mixes movie shots with glimpses of Shakira in the recording studio. It’s a dull video for a forgettable song.
Two separate sections look at Deleted Characters (3:16) and Deleted Scenes (7, 28:03). In “Characters”, Moore and Howard tell us about animals who failed to make the film. Some amusing possibilities appear.
As for the seven “Scenes”, these also feature introductions from Moore and Howard. The scenes offer a lot of amusing and interesting material, much of which would’ve sent the movie down a different path. These tend to be enjoyable and entertaining in their own right.
The Blu-ray disc opens with an ad for Finding Dory. Sneak Peeks adds a promo for Girl Meets World. No trailer for Zootopia appears here.
Bright and funny, Zootopia offers standard Disney themes but embellishes them with wit and flair. The film offers an energetic and clever tale. The 4K UHD presents excellent visuals and very good audio but lacks a great roster of supplements. Even without stellar bonus materials, Zootopia becomes a winner.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of ZOOTOPIA
