Also check out my review for the film at www.christiananswers.net
In the world of “Zootopia,” animals live like… well… people. Animals of all breeds, predator and prey alike, live together seemingly in peace and harmony. A bunny named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) has a dream. She wants to be a cop for the Zootopia Police Department. Being a bunny, everyone seems to think that dream is a very crazy one, including Judy’s overly-worried parents. 15 years pass, and Judy is attending the Zootopia Police Academy. After stumbling out of the gate during her training, she works her way up to becoming top of the class, earning her spot on the force, much to the apparent dismay of Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba). On her first day, she is placed at a parking meter job. One day, she agrees to help a desperate Mrs. Otterton (voiced by Octavia Spencer) locate her missing husband, against Bogo's wishes. He gives her 48 hours to solve the case or she resigns.
Zootopia's animation is very impressive creatively. Worlds are fleshed out with technical brilliance and characters are both interesting and fun. I saw this in 3D, and it did add some depth to key scenery (though I wouldn't recommend spending the extra money). You can tell the animators crafted this world with care. The story is also tight and moves along at a solid pace. The mystery stays one step ahead of you, and there are some nicely-placed emotional moments toward the end (and in a Disney rarity, the parents don't die!)
The characters are almost just as interesting. Judy is a great character. She has the hallmarks of a Disney female lead; independent, confident, brave, clever, resourceful and persevering in the face of obstacles. Goodwin is terrific in her first voice role, giving Judy heart and soul, as well as quirkiness. Jason Bateman, also in his first voice role, does a nice job as Nick Wilde, a former con artist who reluctantly helps Judy on her case. The rest of the cast is terrific too, with Elba getting some of the film's best lines and Jenny Slate providing more than expected in her role. Shakira is under-utilized, but she does get a few lines. Two of my favorite characters from the movie are Flash the Sloth (from the memorable DMV scene and voiced by Disney animator Raymond Persi), and the entertaining mouse crime boss, Mr. Big (voiced to a T by veteran voice actor Maurice LaMarche).
Shakira's song "Try Everything" (written by Sia) is another major highlight of the movie. Its' catchy, its memorable, and it has a great message to boot. There are some clever moments of humor, even if some of it goes a little over-the-top at times. Michael Giacchino (Up, Inside Out, Jurassic World) gives a solid musical score with differentiating tones. Some strong messages on not letting your mistakes define you, watching your words, forgiveness, perseverance, and not judging others on appearance. A few hilarious Easter eggs and dialogue references to other Disney movies.
On the downside, Zootopia suffers towards the end from having a message that feels somewhat shoehorned in and somewhat heavy-handed. Towards the end of the film, the movie becomes, at times, a promotion for tolerance, especially in the "peace rally" scene and the concluding scene with Judy speaking a speech. This, along with quite a few things referencing prejudice and discrimination, make for some arguably mature themes for a movie aimed at children and families.
Zootopia may be one of the most original ideas the Mouse House has come up with. And that's what makes it an exciting project. It also had a very clever marketing campaign, to boot (the trailer with the scene at the DMV is fantastic).
And, I will say, Zootopia is one of the studio's most creative features as well. I only wish we could have seen more of the scenery, as the world-building in the film is fantastic. The characters, despite looking like animals, all feel remarkably human. Kudos to the screenwriter (Jared Bush) for accomplishing this, as this animated movie, at times, felt very relatable. And, the movie avoids (for the most part) the annoying bathroom humor that plagues kids' movies.
However, I felt like Disney got a little too carried away with the opportunity at pushing a message here. Messages in films work better if they are naturally picked up from the story, rather than shoehorned and forced in. And towards the end, unfortunately, with a couple of scenes in particular, Zootopia's very clever story takes a backseat to the strong (and mature for a family movie) themes of prejudice, bashing stereotypes and discrimination.
So, it's apparent this movie works better as an exciting cop mystery movie than a message movie. It's a tad edgier than what you would expect from Disney Animation. And, by the time the end credits hit, I didn't find this to be quite as enjoyable as other recent Disney movies, such as Tangled, Frozen, or Big Hero 6.
But, on the flipside, Zootopia is still an entertaining, clever, and fun effort from the Mouse House. And it may just be one of the most thought-provoking animated movies I've seen to date.
Score: 7.7/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of:
Language: In an unfortunate first for a Disney animated feature, God’s name is interjected 3 or 4 times in the form of “oh my g**” and “by g**.” Someone blurts out, “Sweet cheese and crackers!” Some other modern-day curse word substitutes and elementary schoolyard put-downs. (i.e., “heck,” “cripes,” “butt,” “jerk,” “loser,” “gosh”).
Adult Content: There is an odd scene where Judy and Nick encounter a “naturalist club” of naked animals. None of the animals in this scene display any sexual anatomy. While not much of an issue for kids (since animals appear this way typically in the wild), it is clearly a “nudist” joke aimed at adults (Judy is clearly uncomfortable by it). Besides that, the singer Gazelle wears a midriff-baring outfit. She and her tiger dancers (who are seen wearing only shorts) dance slightly provocatively.
Violence: There are a few scenes that may scare sensitive children. A few “savage” animals cause some mayhem (we see claw marks in cars, on floors, etc.). There is a brief image of an individual with scratches all over him (one of his eyes is swollen). The film also has a few lightly intense action scenes with very little injury. A few explosions are seen. A tranquilizer gun (of sorts) is shot. Three characters are nearly “iced” (or frozen). In a play at the beginning of the film, a young Judy pretends to bleed profusely using red streamers and ketchup. Judy is bullied a couple of times.
Drugs/Alcohol: I don't remember seeing any.
Other: Meditation is briefly seen. An angry elephant business owner refuses service. Nick cons and lies to people (but later changes his tune). Evolution is also briefly referenced. Some mixed messages on diversity and bashing stereotypes. Other mature themes are touched on including racial and gender discrimination.
