Review: Zootropolis

Zootropolis (PG)

USA 2016 108 mins Dir: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, J.K. Simmons

When a supposedly fluffy Disney film can sneak in all sorts of potent references to prejudice, stereotyping and racial divides, it’s time to take notice. Like much of its animal-centric ensemble, Disney’s latest Zootropolis (named Zootopia in the USA) has plenty of bite to go with its outwardly docile appearance: terrific real cross-generational entertainment that refuses to patronise the youngsters whilst ensuring the older viewers also have much to chew over.

It helps enormously that the movie is anchored by one of the most likeable and plucky Disney heroes for a very long time. Said hero is Judy Hopps, a perky bunny rabbit who since a young age has dreamt of becoming part of the police force in the sprawling climes of Zootropolis, a city populated by every kind of mammal under the sun where prey and predator live alongside one another. Refreshingly, this is a Disney movie where any notion of schmaltzy romance is off the table: Judy is focused on her career and goes for it, a uniquely single-minded but effortlessly likeable character.

Having graduated at the top of her police academy class, the adult Judy (beautifully voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) can finally escape her humdrum provincial life in Bunny Burrows, where she was seemingly destined to become little more than a carrot farmer. Judy soon arrives wide-eyed in Zootropolis itself, the introduction of which will surely go down as one of Disney’s most glorious animated moments. With the camera swooping throughout the city’s various districts, including the sand-blasted Sahara Square and the frigid Tundra Town, it’s a feast for the eyes – and also a savvy way of laying the thematic groundwork for what’s to come.

Harbouring ambitions to become a detective, Judy is more than a little dispirited to be put on menial traffic duty by her water buffalo superior Chief Bogo (Idris Elba). However she soon finds it hard to resist digging into the case of a missing otter, an investigation that will eventually widen into an unlikely and surprising conspiracy. In order to bust it open however, Judy must enlist the help of wily fox con artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), in the process overcoming a prejudice instilled by her parents who constantly reiterated the danger posed by foxes. Meanwhile Mayor Lionheart (J.K. Simmons) appears oddly negligent, prompting Judy to form an ally in the shape of his put-upon sheep deputy Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate).

It goes without saying that Zootropolis is a visual feast; particularly delightful is the action-packed pursuit through Little Rodentia, Judy valiantly chasing after her quarry whilst attempting to avoid squishing those even smaller than she is. And in a real show-stopper, reluctant partner Nick takes her to a lead at the DMV, which it turns out is operated entirely by sloths in one of Disney’s most inspired-ever sight gags. The attention to detail in the animation is typically extraordinary, everything from the position of Judy’s ears to signify her current mood to the train doors accommodating animals of all different shapes and sizes.

Yet there’s a lot more to this Disney confection than meets the eye. Expecting Zootropolis to be a mammalian utopia of peace and solitude, Judy’s escalating investigation leads to a shocking discovery whereby predators appear to be reverting back to their ‘biological’ type, in the process posing a deadly threat to prey. Besides allowing directors Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Rich Moore to riff on classic noir conventions from the likes of Chinatown, the story also gently poses some genuinely provocative questions. Are predators naturally inclined to hunt prey? Can predators such as foxes be as much a victim of stereotyping as seemingly unassuming rabbits like Judy? And what does it take to restore harmony amidst the city’s grid-locked food chain?

These weighty morsels are handled with the lightest of possible touches, allowing each individual viewer the opportunity to read into the storyline what they will; it’s both an exhilarating adventure and a social satire bearing unlikely comparison with the recent likes of High-Rise. It’s a sure-fire charmer that’s quietly topical and sophisticated: a rib-tickling, heart-warming and quite possibly essential call for unity in the guise of rip-roaring family entertainment, exquisitely voiced by a note-perfect cast. In other words: quintessential Disney.