This woman hasn't been to the movies nearly enough this year. Sadly, pneumonia, a car accident, and several colds caused me to think of the well being of others first. I did finally get out to see Zootopia and London Has Fallen. Two very different films but both positively screaming political messages at their audiences. Even my husband felt like he was being hit over the head.
The first on our weekend binge was London Has Fallen, sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, didn't disappoint with its gratuitous violence, explosions, and high body count. However, the idea that western leaders couldn't be kept safe on the ground in the United Kingdom is somewhat distasteful. I realize that the scenario played out in the film is unlikely, but it is certainly something that our allies do think about anytime there is a state function such as the funeral in the film. How arrogant are we as Americans to tell our allies that only we can solve such a crime without assitance on their soil?
Yes, a MI6 agent wraps up the film by taking out the traitor, but the Americans in the story are the ones that wrap up the final loose end after taking out all of the foot soldiers during the rest of the film. To me this was a 'we're better than you' story that felt way over the top. I would have liked to see more interaction between the Americans and our allies throughout. London Has Fallen did an excellent job of making the UK officials look like idiots. I don't think this film will play well overseas when you consider that angle.
The day after watching London Has Fallen, my husband and I took in Zootopia. This film follows the classic theme of overcoming prejudice. What I found more interesting was how the story takes places the inexperienced junior officer in front of the press without preperation or a senior officer taking the hard questions. It really showed how a few words can twist the whole view of a case. Of course it is the bunny's friend that calls her on her statements.
Ultimately, the film shows that it is a disenfranchised member of the second class that is pulling all of the strings. The ending shows a 'happy ever after moment' with the aforementioned fox and bunny as partners on the force. What the film fails to address is that the original media frenzy caused by the bunny's statements about predator DNA would likely continue reverberate through the population even after the fox joins the police force.
It would seem to me that there would be a large segment of the population that would resist the addition of another predator on their police force. To say nothing of the hate crimes that would plunge the city into chaos before the crime is finally solved. Of course, this is a 'kids' movie so it is unlikely that a discussion of that was ever on the script table.
Both films are worth seeing, but both smack the viewer over the head with their messages. Of the two I preferred Zootopia. The fox's story really resonated with me because those moments stick with the victim their entire lives. It colors everything those indiviuals experience and how they teach their children, the good and the bad. I like that the writers showed both main characters as being flawed but finding ways to overcome those flaws to connect. This is a lovely message for all of us and that is why I like this film.
