Zootopia is by far my favorite animated movie since Inside Out and a great choice for the whole family. It’s one of those Disney movies that throws a few bones to the older kids and adults in the audience without diluting its sweet and simple message about pursuing your dreams and not getting caught up in stereotypes.
Bunny rabbit Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) grows up determined to become the first bunny cop in the modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia, a melting pot where animals big and small, predator and prey, live together in relative peace. Her carrot-farming parents aren’t too keen on Judy’s career choice, but they support her nonetheless. Despite being first in her rookie class, Judy is relegated to ‘meter maid’ duty, until she stumbles upon some key evidence to a major missing-mammals investigation. She forms an unlikely alliance with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), and together, they embark on a wild journey to crack the case. Along the way, they encounter a menagerie of skeptical politicians and law-enforcement officers, a Godfather-like rodent named Mr. Big, and a helpful but characteristically slow sloth who works at the DMV. It. Takes. Him. A. Really. Long. Time. To. Run. A. License. Plate. Number. Anyone who’s ever had to deal with the crazy lines at the DMV will surely, and hysterically, relate.
Zootopia is a ‘feel good’ animated movie that manages to tackle issues of corruption, profiling, and redemption while still being kid-friendly, entertaining, and motivational. I highly recommend it. And if you do see it, be sure to stay through the end credits which are set to a performance by pop star Gizelle, voiced by Shakira. It rocks.