Directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba
At first glance, Zootopia seems like just another generic animated comedy, with anthropomorphic animals. Something simple just to entertain the kids for two hours, that in no way could reach the same level of Disney pedigree like Frozen, Tangled, or something older like The Jungle Book. Looks can be decieving, as Zootopia ends up being one of the best and most clever films Disney Animation has ever produced. That's pretty ironic, when you consider the message at the heart of the film, but more on that later.
Judy Hopps (Goodwin) makes history becoming the first rabbit officer of the police department of Zootopia, a city where all animals have evolved, and predators and prey live in peace. Being the new gal and underestimated for the fact that she's a rabbit, she's assigned to mundane parking duty. Her chance for glory comes when she takes it upon herself to solve a missing mammals case (one of fourteen in Zootopia) in less than 48 hours, or she resigns.
With absolutely no evidence to go on, she recruits the only witness, a con-man fox (con-fox?) by the name of Nick Wilde (Bateman) to help her solve the case. As they carry on the search, they discover a bigger conspiracy in the works, and suddenly the fate of the city is in their…paws.
Zootopia is much more clever than it's marketing suggests, which has been filled with animal puns and pop cultural references. Yes there is a good amount of that, but taking place in a universe that mimics our own it works, and Zootopia has a subtle but strong commentary on the world today. Briefly on the universe of the film, it's incredibly well crafted, and puts the likes of Chicken Little to shame. The filmmakers clearly put a lot of thought and creativity into crafting this world.
Zootopia tackles important issues of prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination incredibly well. Again, not something you'd expect from a film starring a talking bunny and fox (There in lies the irony). The message is not hammered into the viewer's head, but it's strong enough to leave a lasting impression.
What makes the film so enjoyable is that the chemistry between the two leads, perfectly written by the screenwriters, and performed by Goodwin and Bateman. Goodwin, who has become synonymous with Snow White thanks to ABC's Once Upon A Time is unrecognizable, diving headfirst into the incredibly likable and relatable Judy. Bateman gives Nick plenty of his trademark snakiness, but with much more warmth. The rest of the voice cast is great too, Idris Elba in as Chief Bogo being one of the highlights, and Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser being the very definition of a scene stealer. The likes of JK Simmons, Jenny Slate, and Shakira all turn in great work in small supporting roles.
If there's any flaw I could find in this film, it's just one, and it's the villain. In the final act of the film, without getting too spoilery, it pulls a Hans from Frozen "trick". I put "trick" in quotation marks because I know at least one other animated film has used this move in the past few years. Is it better than just having an obviously sinister looking character like Jafar or Scar walk on the scene? Maybe so, but if films keep pulling this, villains are going to become obvious in a whole new way.
Zootopia works on so many levels. As an animated film, as a buddy cop film, and as an inspirational film. It definitely earns a spot alongside some of Disney animation's greatest works, due to it's amazing cast and characters, incredibly crafted setting, and script. It's an instant classic, that will become a hallmark for Walt Disney Pictures in the years to come.
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