Rating of
3.5/4
Mature Disney Fun for All Ages
Unknown - wrote on 05/21/16
'Zootopia' is a high watermark on Disney's recent resurgence (sans Pixar). Storytelling and character come first above all else here. I LOVE the two main leads, Judy and Nick. Not only do they make a great mis-matched pair who play to each other’s strengths, but their relationship exemplifies the core of the film’s message. The story tackles the issue of racism head-on in a thoughtful way for both kids and adults. Not once does it reach too far into preachiness or talk down to the audience. All ages will gain benefit from the strong theme at play. They are woven seamlessly in and around the two main characters and their entire world. This ginormous, multi-faction city that houses all animal types feels like it’s own living universe. We see the whole city over the course of our pair’s crime solving plot. The mystery at hand propels them into situations of real peril. Some scenes have an effective amount of danger present. There’s also much smart humor throughout for good levity. No dumb, obvious, or lame kiddy jokes to be found. Besides one hilarious scene involving Sloths, the film never relies too heavily on humor. An equal balance is shared between the action, comedy, and drama. A few times the transition between those areas would get drawn out just a bit too long, creating some uneven pacing. Made the film feel a little longer than it actually is. A certain character - who rarely shows up - felt tacked on for the sake of adding a more ‘kid-friendly’ nature. Regardless, this is an animated ‘family’ film I can recommend to all ages. It’s one of Disney’s most mature, thoughtful, entertaining, and emotional films they’ve released since the 1990’s.
