BOTTOM LINE: Disney’s latest family offering set in a world populated by civilized animals is laugh-out-loud amusing, exciting, gorgeously animated and has a worthwhile message about tolerance. Furries being people who have something of an invested and sometimes sexual interest in all things anthropomorphic.
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The animation in Zootopia is extremely good with the animals being depicted as if real. Through it’s clever, endearing characters, hilarious jokes, and honest sentiment, Zootopia comes away as a film that’s not only a joy to watch, but also one with a message that couldn’t feel more relevant right now.
Furries, for their part, are enjoying the special attention.
But for all the substantial themes throughout “Zootopia”, the film maintains a lighthearted and entertaining tone. What slows the ark (oops, make that arc) of the film is a crime story that’s in need of a few more monkeyshines. It’s a welcome issue for a kids’ movie to tackle, and it should be interesting to see what kinds of responses this well-marketed, highly-anticipated soon-to-be-blockbuster receives, and what conversations between parents and children it sparks. A fugitive con artist / fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and a rookie bunny cop named Judy Hoops, (Ginnifer Godwin) work together to uncover the conspiracy that is taking over their city. “When she’s talking to her chief, there’s that great wide shot of them standing at the door and she’s just this tiny little thing with this massive buffalo lording over her. That composition to me illustrates what she’s up against”, Moore said.
“Zootopia” may be the smartest, most contemporary film Disney Animated Studios has made to date. When she calls Nick “articulate” early in the movie, it’ll set alarm bells ringing in some viewers’ heads.
What about a story that vividly articulates our own personal biases, those we may not realize we have until confronted with them? That it’s this good while being merely one of three Walt Disney animated features (along with Pixar’s Finding Dory and Disney’s Moana) puts everyone on notice.
An arena-show musical sequence featuring pop star Shakira (as a sexy gazelle) ends the picture on a self-congratulatory note. For example, the mayor of Zootopia (J.K. Simmons) is a proud and noble lion that struts about, while his assistant, Bellwether (Jenny Slate), is a put-upon and powerless little sheep.
The narration begins with young bunny Judy Hopps (Goodwin) wanting to be a police officer. She doesn’t get along with Nick, but she must, to try to solve the missing animals case that’s hit the big city.
Have you ever wondered how your favorite Disney films come to life?
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Written by Howard, fellow director Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph”, “The Simpsons“), co-director Jared Bush and five other credited scribes, “Zootopia” is coming out after half a decade in the making – at, coincidentally, a period when fear-mongering and prejudice is driving much of the presidential primary season and Hollywood is getting roundly criticized for its lacking diversity.
