‘Zootopia’ Review

It has been a long time since Disney has made a movie that has truly captivated an audience both young and old. The film “Zootopia” has made itself one of those movies that people remember for years to come.

Released March 4, the animated film stars red fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and adorable bunny Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), who are as much of an odd couple as they appear.

Judy is a small town hare coming to the big city of Zootopia to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. Shortly after she gets there, she runs into some trouble with her chief and gets fired for insubordination. In exchange for keeping her job, she accepts the deal her boss gives her: find a missing otter in 48 hours or turn in her badge.

The lack of sources and help from her co-workers forces Judy to turn to classic street hustler Nick Wilde, who is her only lead as to where that otter may have gone. She manages to blackmail Nick using evidence of him committing felony tax evasion. She offers him the evidence in exchange for his assistance.

Judy and Nick use their combined ingenuity and street smarts to find the otter. But the polar opposites find themselves in the middle of a case that is much more complex than a missing otter. Once that becomes clear, the plot thickens.

As the movie goes on, the message becomes clear: You should not judge someone based on what they are, just as Nick Wilde is judged as shifty and untrustworthy by many for being a predator animal.

The film conveys this real world message eloquently and intelligently, while pairing two protagonists who are clearly opposites that must learn to work together.

The artwork of this film is something that has not been seen in years. The designs for the districts of the city, such as the tundra for polar animals and a desert district for animals who live in a hotter climate, were inspired by that of a zoo. The artists use those climates and actual city designs to create a Utopia on screen for animals. The setting for the movie was a fantastic and beautiful digital world that anyone would love to live.

The choice for the actors was no less impressive. Bateman and Goodwin fit into their roles like they slipped on gloves. Their personalities fit their characters perfectly. But the real magic was seeing the two together as a duo. The two of them were surprisingly perfect together.

The plot of the film was complex and had a much more real world feel than some of the other work Disney has done. The true villain of the story was the last person anyone expected, and it really put a pretty red bow on what was a treat of a movie.

For this movie, Disney really rolled up their sleeves and gave it their all and it turned out stunning.

“Zootopia” is a wonderful display of creativity and actors who let themselves get lost in the joys of acting in a kids movie. This movie is one for the ages and I give it four out of four Grizzly paws.