Zootopia | Film Review

“Zootopia” is an exciting, rousing action-mystery that offers up lots of laughs for youngsters and oldsters alike

As an adult, settling in to watch a new Disney animated offering usually comes with a host of questions: Can the crew at the Mouse House show me something fresh and new? Can they at least come close to the benchmarks established by their past masterpieces?  Can they surprise me?  Are they trying to sell me on a great story and wonderful characters, or are they just trying to sell me their latest line of merchandise at Toys R Us?

Walking out of “Zootopia”, I can honestly say they did surprise me, and pleasantly so.  It may not have reached the dizzying heights of some of their more beloved classics, but it has certainly earned itself a cozy spot in the Disney vault, and eventually my DVD shelf.  It does show us a lot of what we’ve already seen before – cute critters doing cute things – but there’s a lot more to this opus than what may appear at first glance.  A whole lot more.  In fact, I think I can honestly say this is one of the most mature and daring animated adventures I’ve seen in quite some time.

The story introduces us to a perky young rabbit named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), who dreams of one day becoming the first bunny police officer.  Not just any bunny police officer, mind you, but the first female bunny police officer.  Thank the heavens her enthusiasm is as big as her dreams, because she sure as heck isn’t getting much, if any, encouragement from anyone around her to chase after that particular wisp of near-impossibility.  The mindset of her family, friends, and just about everyone else in the sleepy little farm town she calls home is straight out of the 1950s.  If she’s smart, they tell her, she’ll just settle into the safe, comfy life that is expected of her on the old family farm.  Big dreams belong to big animals.

Refusing to have her hopes dashed, Judy eventually makes her way to the bustling metropolis of Zootopia, after beating the odds and gaining acceptance to the police academy.  Although clearly a washout, luck is on her side as she gets her badge and a position on the police force thanks to an affirmative action plan spearheaded by the city mayor’s office.  Despite not exactly making it on her own merits, she is still more than ready to take on any criminal case they want to throw at her.  However, her new colleagues greet her with open disdain rather than open arms, and she finds herself immediately assigned to meter-maid duty by her gruff, Cape buffalo superior, Chief Bogo (Idris Elba).  He, like everyone she left behind, sees her just as a tiny animal far out of her habitat.  She tries to reason with him, but he is a bull she is far from ready to take by the horns.

Is our furry little heroine ready to throw in the towel now?  Not by a longshot.  If she’s going to be a meter-maid, she’s going to be the best dang meter-maid they’ve ever seen.  But don’t worry folks, our heroine is destined for far greater things, especially after she crosses paths with a wily, con-artist fox named Nick (Jason Bateman) – who she first treats with suspicion (foxes and rabbits are mortal enemies, after all), then sympathy, then trust, then…..Oh, never mind.  It’s a complicated relationship to say the least.  I’ll let you see how it plays out.

This is about the time where the story really takes off, and I refuse to reveal anymore.  Why, you may ask?  After all, I’ve been pretty generous with the plot details the last couple of paragraphs or so.  Why stop now?  Well, the reason is simple.  This is where the movie really surprised me, and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else.  “Zootopia” may be a fun, Disney romp, but at its heart it is also a great, surprisingly complex mystery.  And a pretty dark one at that.

This film is rated PG (for thematic elements, rude humor, and action) and deservedly so.  Within this bright, colorful city there are some pretty dark alleys, and we get to explore them fully.  Besides the obvious theme of gender inequality, the main storyline itself is rooted in prejudice, ignorant stereotypes, and flat-out racism, and the film is not afraid to confront them head-on.  There are some moments that actually caught me off guard and served as a pretty ugly, though accurate, reflection of our own society.  Watching “Zootopia”, older members of the audience won’t be able to avoid being reminded of the misery that is beamed at us on a daily basis via the various news outlets.  It can be an angry, hateful world we live in nowadays.  Is it too much for a younger audience?  Not at all.  In fact, I think this movie can serve as a gentle bridge between the fantasy world of youth and the stark reality of young adulthood.  There is hate in the world, and we all have to accept and face that fact sooner or later.  I see this film as a good starting pointing for some much needed conversation between parents and their children.  Better it be sooner than later.

Okay, enough with the doom and gloom.  This is a Disney flick after all.  Dark themes aside, it’s a good old time at the movies.  The kids will get a kick out of the crazy antics on display, and the adults will have a good time with the gags designed just for them.  Remember, part of the reason this got a PG rating was for ‘rude humor’.  Rude humor?  Just how rude are we talking about here?  Well, let me put it this way:  There’s one scene where Judy and Nick end up on a guided tour of a nudist colony led by an obviously-under-the-influence-of-something Yak (Tommy Chong), where the residents expose themselves in blatantly provocative ways.  It is one of the funniest moments in the film – and don’t worry,  its more suggestive elements will certainly fly over the heads of younger viewers – but if this same scene were to be acted out by real life actors, it would certainly be more at home at a midnight screening of “Deadpool” than at a kiddie’s matinee.

Zootopia itself is a wonder to behold.  It is one of the most beautifully animated environments I have ever seen rendered.  It is composed of a dozen different districts, each of which is actually a distinct natural habitat designed specifically to meet the needs of the various species living within.  Much of the joy in watching this movie comes from just witnessing the creativity and attention to detail the animators put into bringing each unique location to life.  Add to that, the directors and writers did a superb job of incorporating those locations into the action, a highpoint being when a foot chase between Judy and a weasel goes from the oversized streets of the larger residents to a miniature neighborhood where Zootopia’s rodent population congregates.  At one moment, our wee heroine is in very real danger of getting squished, only to then suddenly become the potential squisher herself in a scene reminiscent of the last “Godzilla” remake.

I know I’m staying mum on much of the main story, and the characters involved, but I really don’t want to spoil the mystery for anyone.  These kinds of movies often have loud, over-the-top villains who are more than happy to bellow out their evil intentions almost from the get-go, but not here.  It is a real mystery movie, and I was totally wrapped up in watching Judy and Nick chase down the clues throughout this new and wonderful world.  When the villain finally emerges from the shadows, I have to admit they got me.  It hadn’t even occurred to me that that particular character could in any way be………Yeeeah, I’ll stop there.  The temptation to spoil can be an overpowering one sometimes.

There are a couple of quibbles.  The film does drag a bit towards the end.  I understand that this is mainly due to a twist in the tale, but the stretching out of the story may test the patience of younger audience members.  The hammering home of the central themes does get laid on a bit thick on occasion, but I am happy to see they don’t shy away from them at the same time.

All in all, I had a great time.  It was fun flick for all, dealt with some heavy topics that deserve discussion, and the main character is a great role model for kids, especially young girls.  “Zootopia” is an exciting, rousing action-mystery that offers up lots of laughs for youngsters and oldsters alike.

And don’t worry about the naked hippos doing yoga.  It’s actually quite funny.   Or were they elephants?  I don’t know.  It’s hard to tell when they’re on their backs with their legs in the air. Hopefully we can get some clarification on this pertinent point in “Zootopia 2”.