Zootopia (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Zootopia' (Disney's latest animated offering, directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush, Rich Moore) is set in a world where walking, talking, 'civilized' animals live in harmony with one another, regardless of whether they're predator or prey. Judy Hoops (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), an adorable bunny, lives on her parent's carrot farm, but has big dreams to leave that life to become a policewoman in the big city, Zootopia. She enlists in the police academy, perseveres, aces the test, & moves to Zootopia where - helped by her mayor's (J.K. Simmons) 'mammal inclusion program' - becomes the 1st rabbit to join the police force. There, Chief of Police Bogo (a gruff water buffalo, voiced by Idris Elba) initially relegates our optimistic bunny protagonist to a safe-but-boring meter maid assignment.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ZPD is busy investigating a series of mammal disappearances/kidnappings and, all 14 cases happen to be predators (tigers, panthers, otters, and such). With the help of a sly con artist fox, Nicholas Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy takes the initiative to investigate the mystery surrounding those 14 kidnapped predators; bereft Mrs. Otterson pleads for Judy to find her missing otter husband. Risking her young career, Chief Bogo informs our diminutive Judy that if she cannot crack this missing animal case within 48 short hours, then she'll have to forfeit her badge.
Along the way, Judy & Nick meet a number of intriguing characters, like Flash, a sloth who works at the DMV {a hilarious concept, and a scene highlighted in the trailers for this film}, a fly-ridden Yak who runs a naturalist colony {seeing animals in the nude is a natural thing to us humans, but humorously observed by Judy/Nick, who are used to wearing clothes like the rest of Zootopia}, and crime boss Mr. Big, a Marlon Brando-like shrew who Nick wronged in the past {this scene is straight out of The Godfather and, it's hysterical}. Judy & Nick find the missing predators, but also see that they've mysteriously returned to their savage states! And so, it's up to our bunny heroine Judy & Nick to discover how this is happening and to uncover the sinister force that threatens Zootopia's long-earned peace & harmony.
With its vibrant CGI visuals, engaging plot, & important social commentary, 'Zootopia' is a buddy-cop comedy/suspenseful whodunit that is both intelligent & heartwarming for audiences of any age. The city of Zootopia is gorgeously animated, packed with interesting foreground & background details, as a series of different boroughs, each possessing its own traits (Sahara Square, Tundratown, the Rainforest, a rodent mini-city). Judy & Nick's repartee recalls screwball comedies of old, & the plot's twists are a throwback to 1940's noir films in which the villain is never who you think. Although the trailer gives away one of the film's funniest scenes - the DMV run by sloths moving slower than molasses - there are plenty of other laughs to be had for both kids & grown-ups.
Ginnifer Goodwin is great as the bright, cheerful Judy (watching her hop around dole-ing out 200 parking tickets in record time is adorable). Though she got into the police with help from the mammal inclusion program, Judy proves that even a little bunny has what it takes to take down the bad guys. In Judy, Disney has provided us a unique heroine for the ages. Jason Bateman has the perfect cynical voice to portray the sweet-yet-jaded Nick, a fast-talking charmer of a fox who knows a lot about Zootopia's underbelly. Idris Elba's robust baritone is perfectly utilized as water buffalo Chief Bogo. And Shakira lends her voice as pop star Gazelle, who sings the film's poignant theme song, "Try Everything" (urging Judy & others to be who you want to be, not who others expect you to be).
In the 2nd half of the film, 'Zootopia' proves to be more of a wolf in sheep's clothing; moving to a deeper level by introducing timely messages of empowerment, inclusivity, & racial tolerance. Judy joins the police force thanks to that affirmative action-type program, yet is discriminated against - despite her qualifications - for being a bunny rather than a predatory animal. Judy has her own prejudices, too, especially when it comes to foxes; she has to learn to trust Nick following a bad encounter with a fox when she was young {and in a startling scene of violence that took me off guard}. And the mystery they uncover is rooted in the idea that people (animals, here) make judgments about others without considering the individual personality. The topical story feels uplifting & smart without being syrupy or preachy. 'Zootopia' is fresh, memorable, clever, beautiful, & gives kids something of substance while also offering them a really fun time.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ZPD is busy investigating a series of mammal disappearances/kidnappings and, all 14 cases happen to be predators (tigers, panthers, otters, and such). With the help of a sly con artist fox, Nicholas Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy takes the initiative to investigate the mystery surrounding those 14 kidnapped predators; bereft Mrs. Otterson pleads for Judy to find her missing otter husband. Risking her young career, Chief Bogo informs our diminutive Judy that if she cannot crack this missing animal case within 48 short hours, then she'll have to forfeit her badge.
Along the way, Judy & Nick meet a number of intriguing characters, like Flash, a sloth who works at the DMV {a hilarious concept, and a scene highlighted in the trailers for this film}, a fly-ridden Yak who runs a naturalist colony {seeing animals in the nude is a natural thing to us humans, but humorously observed by Judy/Nick, who are used to wearing clothes like the rest of Zootopia}, and crime boss Mr. Big, a Marlon Brando-like shrew who Nick wronged in the past {this scene is straight out of The Godfather and, it's hysterical}. Judy & Nick find the missing predators, but also see that they've mysteriously returned to their savage states! And so, it's up to our bunny heroine Judy & Nick to discover how this is happening and to uncover the sinister force that threatens Zootopia's long-earned peace & harmony.
With its vibrant CGI visuals, engaging plot, & important social commentary, 'Zootopia' is a buddy-cop comedy/suspenseful whodunit that is both intelligent & heartwarming for audiences of any age. The city of Zootopia is gorgeously animated, packed with interesting foreground & background details, as a series of different boroughs, each possessing its own traits (Sahara Square, Tundratown, the Rainforest, a rodent mini-city). Judy & Nick's repartee recalls screwball comedies of old, & the plot's twists are a throwback to 1940's noir films in which the villain is never who you think. Although the trailer gives away one of the film's funniest scenes - the DMV run by sloths moving slower than molasses - there are plenty of other laughs to be had for both kids & grown-ups.
Ginnifer Goodwin is great as the bright, cheerful Judy (watching her hop around dole-ing out 200 parking tickets in record time is adorable). Though she got into the police with help from the mammal inclusion program, Judy proves that even a little bunny has what it takes to take down the bad guys. In Judy, Disney has provided us a unique heroine for the ages. Jason Bateman has the perfect cynical voice to portray the sweet-yet-jaded Nick, a fast-talking charmer of a fox who knows a lot about Zootopia's underbelly. Idris Elba's robust baritone is perfectly utilized as water buffalo Chief Bogo. And Shakira lends her voice as pop star Gazelle, who sings the film's poignant theme song, "Try Everything" (urging Judy & others to be who you want to be, not who others expect you to be).
In the 2nd half of the film, 'Zootopia' proves to be more of a wolf in sheep's clothing; moving to a deeper level by introducing timely messages of empowerment, inclusivity, & racial tolerance. Judy joins the police force thanks to that affirmative action-type program, yet is discriminated against - despite her qualifications - for being a bunny rather than a predatory animal. Judy has her own prejudices, too, especially when it comes to foxes; she has to learn to trust Nick following a bad encounter with a fox when she was young {and in a startling scene of violence that took me off guard}. And the mystery they uncover is rooted in the idea that people (animals, here) make judgments about others without considering the individual personality. The topical story feels uplifting & smart without being syrupy or preachy. 'Zootopia' is fresh, memorable, clever, beautiful, & gives kids something of substance while also offering them a really fun time.