Zootopia Film: Voice Analysis

Zootopia is an animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Studios. It was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. The movie stars actors Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba and Jenny Slate. The movie tells the story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox who is a con artist. The two uncover a conspiracy involving the disappearance of the animal inhabitants of their mammalian metropolis.

Judy Hopps, the rabbit, had graduated valedictorian from the police academy. she had achieved her lifelong dream finally. Chief Bogo however delegates her to parking duty since he doubted her potential. This is mainly because she was only a rabbit and the first one to become a cop. Judy however proves everyone wrong and shows just how good a cop she was when she solved the case that had left Zootopia in fear.

Voice is a very important aspect in a film. Voice is used to give expositions or give information about the plot, character or setting. They use words to describe the events going on on the screen. Voice tells us so much about a person. where they come from, their personality and the emotions they are currently experiencing. An actor’s voice therefore needs to be very versatile to be able to communicate different range of emotions. it must have clarity to allow every word to be heard. The cast chosen for this movie was carefully selected to get the right voices for the characters. For example, with the role of Nick Wilde, Jason Bateman was chosen because the filmmakers said, “We want an actor who can bring 'a funny yet heartfelt side’ with ‘a wily, dry-witted sort of voice’”.

When analysing voice, there are a number of elements to consider. these are pitch, pace, tone, pause, volume, accent, intonation and emphasis. Tone of voice refers to the actors feelings towards the particular subject. Emphasis is the pressure that is put on individual words that make a certain section of speech stand out. Intonation which is the rise and fall of the voice while speaking is also crucial. It helps us say what we mean. The pace is the speed at which one speaks. it can be used to also judge emotions. for example one tends to speak faster in a heated argument or when extremely angry. These and other elements of speech have been used in the movie Zootopia.

The movie is used to teach various important lessons. These include; the importance of friendship, integrity and dreaming big. The movie also teaches us not to judge a book by its cover. Judy was very small in size and people underestimated her skills as a police officer. she however proves that there was much more to her. The characters used in the film have different attributes based on their voice in the different scenes. Some of the characters who are fit for their voices in Zootopia are Chief Bogo, Judy Hopps, and Mayor Lionheart. The analysis of the voice in these characters shows a fit with their attributes and responsibilities.

Chief Bogo as a character in Zootopia uses a voice that mimics his role as the chief of the Zootopia Police Department. The voice of Bogo is played by Idris Elba. He was a perfect fit for this role. Bogo talks with a commanding voice when addressing the police officers to fit well with his responsibility. For example, During the first meeting with Judy, he uses rising and falling intonation to give responsibilities (Devi et al., 23). 

This is used to show his authority over the other officers. Another instance was when he accused Judy of insubordination; he uses a loud and rising tone to summon Judy to his office. This is used to show his anger at her behavior. Also, when he wanted to take the police budge from Judy, he uses loud and rising voice as demand for failing to finish the investigation. He was very disappointed in her. Thus, Bogo’s voice is appropriate for his responsibility.

The voice of Judy Hopps is played by Goodwin. She brought sweetness, tremendous heart and a great sense of humor. Also, Judy Hopps demonstrates a fit in her responsibility as a police officer in her voice. While Judy may seem like the youngest and tiniest officer, Judy has a commanding voice. When she wanted to arrest Nick Wilde, she uses a commanding voice as a cop to enable her to capture his attention (Nadeak et al., 310). She uses a commanding power to demonstrate her authority as a police officer. In most scenes in the movie, Judy uses a voice that indexed her to a specific social class; a cop, thus, as much as she is a tiny officer, her voice is appropriate for her responsibility.

Another crucial example is Mayor Lionheart. He uses a commanding and authoritative tone when addressing his subjects. He shows his power and influence. He also uses a low tone and seductive voice to gain loyalty from people. This is to try and appeal to their emotions so as to win them over. Specifically, during the initiation of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, he speaks with a low tone voice to welcome the new cop (Nick Wilde). 

Another perfect illustration is when he was talking to Bellwether about the case in which they were found to be victims, he talked with a loud and roaring voice on how people will take it if they are found victims especially since he was the mayor and a lion. He says this loudly and in a high tone. This was to show the various emotions he was experiencing. Thus, his voice in the movie fits his responsibility as a mayor.

The role voice plays in the movie is very crucial. The words said may be important but the qualities an actor adopts such as timbre, tone, emphasis, intonation and pitch all have an important effect on the message. Varying the different aspects of voice helps communicate a range of emotions and situations. It is usually very important that a character develops a certain tone so that the viewers can identify a personality. This has effectively been demonstrated in Zootopia.