ZOOTOPIA – The Review

ZOOTOPIA is your basic, and very enjoyable, Disney anthropomorphic animal flick, an empowerment tale aimed at bright, dreamy girls that parents (and boys) will still have a lot of fun with. Even if Disney movies aren’t your cup of tea, and you think that there is no more to be said about talking critters, you may be surprised at ZOOTOPIA’s witty and pleasant approach.

The story takes place in the titular ‘Roger Rabbit’-like animal metropolis of Zootopia, a city comprised of habitat neighborhoods like Bunnyburrow, upscale Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown. It’s a melting pot of amicable existence among different animals, with prey and predator living together (more or less) in harmony. When headstrong rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers being the first bunny rabbit on Zootopia’s police force, comprised of much larger animals, isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a missing person (actually missing otter) case, even if it means partnering with motor-mouthed scam-artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to solve the mystery.

While it breaks little ground in terms of animated kids films, the beautifully designed, brightly-hued ZOOTOPIA is breezier and bouncier than most. The animation work is dazzling, lovingly detailed without being overdone. I felt like I could reach out and pet these furry critters, especially in eye-popping 3D. Directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard exhibit admirable control over the material, maintaining a consistently chipper tone, upbeat tempo and bright visual aesthetic without devolving into a hyperactive, collection of gags. The vocal talent well-captures the story’s spirit especially boisterous J. K. Simmons as Mayor Lionheart (a lion, natch) and Jenny Slate as his sheep deputy. Miss Goodwin does a good job expressing the frustrations of Miss Hopps and Bateman is well-cast as Nick, a fox haunted by childhood trauma. Idris Elba is nicely acerbic as the mighty Police Chief Bogo (an ox), though I wish his role had been larger.

Still, in this post-Pixar age, it’s hard not to feel a tad underwhelmed by ZOOTOPIA. Though solid from beginning to end, the writers seem too intent on stuffing the film with warm and fuzzy, but ultimately stifling, lessons about diversity, prejudice, race relations, girl power, acceptance, bullying, etc, etc. While these are timeless themes, all woven together nicely by a crew of filmmakers from the Disney-Pixar trenches, they’re at the expense of big laughs.  I’m all for positive values in kid’s films. INSIDE OUT was full of them, but it also had the kind of hearty gut-busters that brought me back for repeat viewings. Oddly, for a movie about tearing down stereotypes, ZOOTOPIA’s funniest gag (seen in the trailer) is a riff on one; everyone’s experience at the DMV, where slow-moving, sloth-like employees often make the experience interminable. ZOOTOPIA may not be perfection, but it’s still highly recommended.

4 of 5 Stars