Zootopia

Today I saw the latest Disney movie, “Zootopia,” which came out on the 4^th. Now I know what you’re thinking: shouldn’t I be saving this until December for my next installment of “Disney Month?” Well, I would do that, but I liked this movie so much, that I just have to share what I thought about this movie. Even on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie has a 99%. That is quite a surprise, and we all really wanted to watch this movie. Now I’m going to quit stalling and talk about this movie.

It’s a jungle outside when we watch animated comedies with talking animals, though Disney is creating a really high stake with the outgoing and often hilarious “Zootopia.”

Directed by “Tangled” director Byron Howard and “Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore, the family-friendly movie displays that unlikely friendship of a motivated rabbit officer and a fox con artist while supporting themes of tolerance and diversity. Its serious “You can be anything!” moral is overbearingly clear, though “Zootopia” works best as a funny dance that skillfully imagines a world where hamsters can be businessmen and polar bears are the coolest bodyguards they see.

Every citizen in Bunnyburrow thinks our protagonist is crazy for wanting to be a police officer instead of farming carrots (which her parents, voiced by Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake, advise her to do), but Judy Hopps, voiced by Della Saba at age nine and Ginnifer Goodwin as an adult, puts her best rabbit’s foot forward and graduates as the valedictorian of her class before being stationed at downtown Zootopia. Her cape buffalo boss Chief Bogo, voiced by Idris Elba, however, doesn’t want to see Judy’s potential, so he assigns her to parking duty – however, she quickly is the best at giving out parking tickets ever.

Judy finds a frustrate in Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, a clever, smooth-talking fox who’s always looking for ways to move forward in life, legal or anywhere else. The request of “Zootopia” is that there’s peace between predator and prey – so foxes aren’t just tracking rabbits as a pastime – but when this status quo is threatened, Judy and Nick have to team up to solve this case.

Brian Truitt mentioned in his review, “With a landscape smartly shown during Judy’s train ride, Zootopia is a magnificently designed metropolis that’s a work of art in itself. The attention paid to detail on both a macro and micro level is top-notch: It’s impressive and adorable the way Judy’s nose twitches when trouble is afoot. (Just don’t call her “cute,” the very worst thing you can call a bunny.)”

Jared Bush and Phil Johnston’s screenplay brings into questions of identity and choosing to be more than what people want you to be, which adult Disney fans have seen way too much and will most likely go over their children’s heads. Truitt said, “The story is boosted instead by utilizing noir and crime-drama elements — Chinatown and The Godfather are two interesting inspirations — and cultural references like the Uber-esque “Zuber,” marketed as “migration at your fingertips.””

Bateman’s and Goodwin’s voices perfectly capture their roles, but it’s the supporting cast who often steal the show. Rodent-sized Mr. Big (Maurice LaMarche) is a funny mobster shrew who’s not to mess with, the doughnut-loving cheetah cop Clawhauser (Nate Torrence) is a roar, Finnick (Tommy “Tiny” Lister) is a little fox whose growly voice contradicts his tiny height, and the hippie yak Yax (comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician Tommy Chong) runs a “naturalist” community that scares Judy out because no one’s wearing clothes.

Its polychromatic citizens make “Zootopia” a marvelous place to visit for two hours until you have to leave the theater, where the hot Latina singer Shakira isn’t a gazelle and law enforcement is a lot less animal looking.

I highly approve to see this movie in theaters. It’s one of the best animated movies I have seen in a long time and you will definitely enjoy it as well. Especially since it comes out at a time when prejudice is running at a peak and we need our children to learn this. This movie easily falls into one of my favorite Disney animated films. Take the whole family with you and they will all enjoy it a lot.

Well, I hope that I gave a good recommendation with this new movie. Look out for next Friday when I continue “Alvin & the Chipmunks Month.”