One glance at Zootopia and you may just take it as yet another silly kids flick starring a bunch of talking CG anthropomorphic animals. However, do not judge this book by its cover. Disney Animation Studios has produced one of the smartest animated movies in recent memory and a message appropriate for the time and place we live in. At the same time, Zootopia still works as a funny, entertaining ride for both kids and adults.
We first meet our female lead Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) as a young bunny, eager to makes the world a better place by becoming a police officer in the eponymous metropolitan city Zootopia. Her can-do ambitious attitude contrasts with her countryside parents who are humble carrot farmers with a “settle with what’s safe” attitude. Despite all the opposition, from discouragement from those around her to her lack of physical stature, Judy achieves her dream, graduating from the Zootopia police academy and becoming the force’s first rabbit officer. Happily ever after, right?
Wrong. Like real life, the hurdles don’t end when you get your dream job, especially when you’re different. On her first day on the force, Judy is assigned to parking duty by Chief Bogo (an oxen voiced by Idris Alba) while the other, physically stronger animals are given real cases to look for citizens who have gone missing. She wiggles her way into taking on one of the missing persons cases and teams up with a knowledgeable, street-smart fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). Together, the unlikely duo unravels a mystery storyline along the lines of detective noire like LA Confidential or Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Zootopia’s plot has an unexpected few more twists and turns, making it all the more better.
I can’t escape the fact that Zootopia is a beautifully animated motion picture. Plentiful details on all the animals look terrific: It shows how much care and thought went into their designs, personalities, and animation. All these creatures live in stunning environments, which set some sort of benchmark for scenery in an animated movie. One stand-out sequence is when Judy first enters Zootopia on a train traveling to the different sections of the city, each a specific habitat for its diverse population. We and Judy are treated to gorgeous sights ranging from humid rain forests to snowy polar landscapes, then lastly the busy metropolis of downtown. My eyes loved the vibrant and colorful imagery projected on-screen. Walt Disney Animation has stepped up its game to create living, breathing characters and environments that are a joy to watch (Not to mention, Zootopia would make for a great world for Sora and company to visit in a Kingdom Hearts game).
On one level, I found Zootopia to be a largely fun, humorous time at the cinema. Judy and Nick’s trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles, entirely run by sloths, has to be the most accurate representation of people’s DMV experience and a highlight comedic segment. Some animal jokes and puns are present but thankfully not cringe-inducing. Adults will enjoy the funny nods to more grown-up media like The Godfather and even Breaking Bad. The charming characters, intriguing plot, and laugh-out-loud jokes already make this a solid family flick.
Catching me off guard, the serious stuff adds depth to Zootopia and what raises it above common kiddie fare. We see Judy and others face prejudice and unfair biases because of the way they were born. Instead of races, the differences arise from what one’s species is, with the main rift being between predators and prey. Most believe, as a small rabbit, Judy can’t be a good police officer with an additional implied reason of her being a girl. When we first meet Nick, he’s a victim of discrimination at a ice cream shop where an elephant refuses to serve Nick because he’s a fox. The utopia which child Judy idealized as a place where species live together in peace is closer to our real world. Zootopia is not a barbaric, dog-eat-dog world, but the different species don’t necessarily treat one another fairly.
Even the seemingly incorruptible Judy breaks down under pressure at a press conference and says stereotypical, preconceived statements about predatory species. Her nervous remarks rattles her society’s anxieties, causing rampant prejudice to spread and it begins affecting those around her. Especially with current events such as the American presidential election and Black Lives Matter, the fear-fueled intolerance seen in the later part of Zootopia has scary parallels to what’s happening in the real world.
Thankfully, the way the film handles this major theme of racism never reaches a level of obnoxious preachiness nor does the writing talk down to kids in its execution. Zootopia’s script by Jared Bush and Phil Johnston lets the themes permeate and entwine with the story. Not only are our furry characters likeable, they are written in a way that makes them very human and relatable. I don’t feel Zootopia goes far enough to quite reach its lofty thematic ambitions, but there’s more than an admirable effort on display here. It’s a fitting fable we need right now and the kind of animated film kids and adults alike deserve.
Should you watch Zootopia? Yes.
(Note: I attended an advance IMAX 3D screening of Zootopia on Monday, February 29, 2016 at the IMAX Theatre at the Minnesota Zoo. While the IMAX quality of presentation was nice, I did not find the 3D beneficial or necessary.)