Zootopia

photo courtesy of laughingplace.com

     Zootopia follows in the footsteps of Disney Animation Studios’ recent string of hits from 2010’s Tangled through the record-breaking Frozen (2013) and 2014’s Big Hero 6. In decent standing with that tradition, Zootopia delivers a burst of creative story-telling and an engaging character journey.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     Zootopia is the story of Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the first bunny cop of the futuristic animal metropolis, Zootopia. As she adjusts to city life, Judy has to deal with prejudice from her fellow cops and the doldrums of a boring traffic assignment. But Judy quickly learns that things in Zootopia are not what they seem; a series of missing-person cases are dumbfounding the Zootopia police department. To solve the mystery and restore order to the city, Judy must enlist the help of the last person she’d like to work with and the source of her annoyance, sly fox Nick Wilde (Robert Down---uh, I mean, Jason Bateman).

     The film takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals who live in a state of coexistence and equality (as evidenced by the city’s name Zootopia’s being an obvious play on Utopia). Unlike the ancient times, where animals’ biological instincts ruled and the predator-prey relationship reigned supreme, the modern animal civilization claims to have subdued those instincts and allowed all animals to live together in harmony.

photo courtesy of variety.com

     One of Zootopia’s greatest strengths is the sheer creativity and originality that accompanies the central story. It reached mainstream attention with a trailer advertising sloths as DMV workers, and if you liked that kind of humor, the writers offer up much more where that came from. There are plenty of jokes that play well on the surface, but there are also quick one-liners that will require subsequent viewings to truly appreciate. The very environment of the city of Zootopia is so inviting and engaging that the audience wants to explore it along with Judy.

     Zootopia excels in the realm of parody and throwback; it doesn’t miss a single opportunity to throw in a timely reference. One of the funniest bits of the film is an extended parody scene off a popular movie franchise. At one point it even references Disney’ own animated line-up.

     It also benefits from a stellar voice cast. Ginnifer Goodwin and discount-RDJ Jason Bateman give life and character to the two leads. Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, and Parks and Rec’s Jenny Slate round out the cast. Even pop star Shakira has a protracted role in the movie beyond her anthem for the movie, “Try Everything."

photo courtsey of cartonbrew.com

     The main moral thrust of the movie is inclusion and diversity. Although the villains of the movie attempt to divide Zootopia’s society and turn former allies against each other, our heroes must stick together (and learn to right their previous wrongs) to save the day. The message is plainly directed at the mainstream American audience in the midst of increased racial and LGBT controversy—as well as an unusual and at times bitter presidential race. The whole thing is well-intentioned, and for the most part, it comes across benevolently. The film's presentation of its message, however, is its greatest fault; although it tries to be good-natured and inviting, it can end up being a bit preachy at points. For this reviewer, it was conspicuous enough to distract from the plot itself. There are thinly veiled jabs at particular groups and ideologies, and it's, well...thinly veiled. 

     At times, the metaphor is simply stretched too far, and it threatens to collapse upon the movie's whole purpose. Take, for instance, Shakira's aforementioned song, "Try Everything." A harmless enough message for kids, until, of course, you think about it briefly, at which point you realize it's terrible advice. 

photo courtesy of screenrant.com

     Zootopia is not the triumphant family blockbuster that Frozen was, nor the star-crossed love story of Tangled, but it does earn its place at the table among its Disney fellows. With a talented cast, a strong and relevant sense of moral purpose, a fresh dose of humor, and a creative premise, Zootopia offers a good time at the movies for children and adults alike.