Review: ZOOTOPIA

ZOOTOPIA   
(ANIMATION/FAMILY)
3 out of 4 stars 
Directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
Featuring the Voices of: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Shakira, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Raymond S. Persi, Maurice LaMarche
Rated PG for some thematic elements, rude humor and action.
108 minutes
Verdict: Both proper family entertainment and insanely different, ZOOTOPIA is an extremely thought-provoking and weird hybrid that is occasionally uneven but a tremendously relevant, unexpectedly frank allegory for issues of race and demagoguery in the news right now.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN ZOOTOPIA IF YOU LIKED:
BIG HERO 6  (2014)
WRECK-IT RALPH  (2012)
FROZEN  (2013)
BOLT  (2008)
KUNG FU PANDA  (2008)

I've been tossing and turning ZOOTOPIA through my mind continuously during the past 24 hours since I watched it.  It's such a strange, wonderful and brilliant movie, one that at once possesses the Disney charm you'd expect, while also being so bold and different that it loses its footing from time to time, and the results are a bit uneven.  It's the kind of movie that I wouldn't be surprised to see improve significantly for me over time, but at the moment, it's still not all together for me.  It's so, so weird.  For starters, it isn't the first time that Walt Disney Animation has made a movie full of anthropomorphized, clothes-wearing animal characters, but this is the first one to make a point of it (actually, there's only two others, a couple of the studio's worst movies, ROBIN HOOD and CHICKEN LITTLE, but either way, it's not like this is an unfamiliar concept).  ZOOTOPIA is set in a world inhabited by all manner of mammals, predator and prey, exotic and domestic, all evolved from their wild natural origins into a relatively peaceful co-existence, best exemplified by the titular metropolitan city divided Magic Kingdom-like into several themed districts; Sahara Square, Tundratown, Rainforest District and Little Rodentia, all converging into Savannah Central.
Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit from the rural farming community of Bunnyburrow, overcomes the odds to become the first bunny police officer and is appointed to the Zootopia Police Department to the unabashed apprehension of the all much larger, naturally formidable animals of her precinct.  This includes African buffalo Chief Bogo (voice of Idris Elba), who puts her on parking duty, at which she excels but is unsatisfied, so she imposes herself on the department's top case regarding multiple recent disappearances.  Making a wager with Bogo to either solve the case in 48 hours or turn in her badge, Hopps starts her investigation by teaming up with a reluctant underworld contact, a red fox con artist named Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman).

Even though the animal inhabitants of Zootopia are supposed to be evolved, they still grapple with supposedly ingrained behaviors and prejudices, and for rabbits like Judy, that means no one believes she can perform adequately as a police officer, while for foxes like Nick, other animals are have him pegged as a ne'er-do-well before he has a chance to prove them right.  The script, by co-director Jared Bush (making his directorial debut after being part of the creative team on WDA's last film, BIG HERO 6) and Phil Johnston (who co-wrote WRECK-IT RALPH) from a story credited to no less than 7 different writers, never hesitates to attack relevant issues of tolerance in a pluralistic society head-on, weaving in funny bits alluding to real-world racial sensitivities and cultural faux pas, but also dealing with ideas of prejudice and racial/cultural anxieties in a real and surprising way.  At one point in the plot, it becomes evident that a number of vicious attacks have been perpetrated by a certain category of Zootopia's residents, and while well-meaning authorities attempt to address the issue, the masses become overwhelmed with fear and then hostility.  When animals are rallying against the fearmongering, one bystander shouts, "Go back to the jungle!", to which the protester responds "I'm from the Savannah!"  The social commentary has subtler moments, but the filmmakers are making their points loudly and clearly, and given how long it takes to make one of these animated movies (the production was announced in active development in 2013), it's interesting that it's now coming out in the midst of demagoguery and racial and religious phobias at the forefront of a presidential race.  Of course, children probably won't make those direct connections, but in addition to undoubtedly entertaining them, the movie also has some frank and valuable things to say about bullying and tolerance of others that should speak to children on their level.

But beyond all of that, ZOOTOPIA is still a very unusual movie, possibly in a way that could be offputting to some viewers expecting something more familiar, and in the process of blending together an eclectic mix of genres (sometimes it's a buddy cop movie, other times it's a crime noir, or a goofy family comedy, or an action-adventure, or a typical talking animal cartoon), it's sometimes uneven.  There are extended references to THE GODFATHER or Breaking Bad, which occur organically while parodying crime genre, as opposed to the shoehorned pop culture referencing of the "Shrek influence" (although there's also a harmless but cliched pop music dance sequence), and there are a pair of kind-of intense bullying scenes.  On the other hand, it's a Disney movie with a lot of cute fuzzy animals, silly animal puns, and fun world-building.
The districts of Zootopia are a lot of fun.  Instead of natural habitats, the world designs are informed by stylized zoo habitats with stone stages, themed walkways and lighting, while the districts are connected by sky ride gondolas.  My particular favorite is the dark jungle of Rainforest District, with damp, lantern-lit bridges and walkways between the trees.  Visually, the whole thing is top-notch, and INSIDE OUT notwithstanding, WDA has swapped with Pixar as the new kings of beautiful, inventive and heartfelt animation.  I'll give it some time.  I feel like this will improve a lot.

Images via Disney