Zootopia

Year: 2016
Genre: Animated Comedy
Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, Raymond S. Persi
Directed: Byron Howard, Rich Moore & Jared Bush
Production: Disney Studios

To put it in the most succinct way possible, Zootopia is an absolute marvel both in scale and in execution. Disney's 55th animated film may honestly be it's best. I realize this sounds like hyperbole but I cannot lie, Zootopia may frankly be the most complete, organic, emotionally resonant, socially relevant, incredibly funny film to ever come out of Disney aka the studio that has pretty much monopolized on our entertainment.

If ever there was a textbook definition of an upstart it would be Judy Hopps (Goodwin). Undaunted by the discouragement around her, Judy dreams of becoming a police officer in Zootopia, the city where predator and prey live in harmony. It's easier said than done, in fact not one of her species, nor any species smaller than a wolf, has ever made it through the Police Academy. She however finds a way and achieves her dream...only to become a meter maid. As she struggles to become an asset to the force, trouble brews in the city as predators start to disappear. Judy has a hunch concerning one of the predators and recruits the unwilling Nick Wilde (Bateman) a fox with a knack for getting into trouble.

One of the first things I immediately noticed about this film coming in was the humor, which while certainly filled with corny animal jokes, is organic to the characters and the situations. There are no unnecessary and useless comic-relief characters or smug jabs meant to up the snark-factor. In-fact some of the humor is so subtle yet brilliant that it kind of washes over you. Take for example Judy's neighbors, two male bushbucks which immediately inform her they're loud and are heard sparring in their apartment. This joke will go far over the heads of children and adults alike but it's still there in the details.

There's also detail in the complex relationships between the characters. Predator and prey are said to get along in Zootopia but Judy slowly realizes that that bond can easily be disrupted. Predators are a minority in the city generalized as aggressive and in the case of foxes, sneaky. There is certainly a subtext here and Disney has no problem with mirroring contemporary notions of racism and sexism and intertwining it's themes with the narrative of the story. In any other story a rabbit and a fox would be mortal enemies but in this case Judy and Nick become fast friends as they solve a convoluted crime.

There are many moments I found myself rolling on the floor with laughter while simultaneously in awe at the mosaic the dream-makers at Disney have created. Any other year, a movie of this kind would have been a high-watermark of entertainment yet in the era of #blacklivesmatter and unabated police brutality, Zootopia has reached new heights. Zootopia has latched onto the zeitgeist of modern America like few movies ever have. To my recollection, only Spider-Man (2002) has achieved a similar balance between light and airy entertainment and seizing the moment to become something more. Just replace the uncertainty of post-9/11 America with the uncertainty of post-Ferguson America and you got the perfect movie for the times. One that is equal amounts of hope and optimism.

I love this movie. It's beautifully rendered, smartly executed, and shockingly timely. The vocal cast is unparalleled with Goodwin and Bateman providing the best performances in an animated movie since Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter in The Incredibles (2004). Disney is world renowned for it's ability to give quality family entertainment and do so with a stunning sense of grace. Zootopia only continues that trend and does so while resonating with audiences in a manner few films dare to. Watch Zootopia with the entire family then, on your day off, watch it again; it's that good.

Final Grade: A