Zootopia

An excellent detective movie with a social overlap, beautifully reflecting prejudices, bullying and media manipulation as well. Who cares if a fox and a rabbit are in the main roles. Old fables in a new format. First-rate action, humorous word duels, hilarious gags to entertain both kids and adults. I admit that my kids sat there gobsmacked by some of the darker scenes that are quite serious for a kids movie, but still it’s good that they are shown some of the down-sides of globalization. A wonderful world, classic music and, is it just me, or did else notice some small tributes to The Last Scout? (03/25/2016)

Zootropolis or Zootopia is a utopia with animals, or, if you like, a city of animals, where everyone lives side by side without any discrimination and instead of eating each other, they help each other. A city where, as the main female protagonist says, everyone can be whoever they want. I was originally expecting a load of crap, the last animated movie I saw from Disney was (if I am not mistaken) a crazy musical called Strange Magic, and I started giving up on The Mouse's animated creations. Plus, animals that act like humans? I have been coming across this subject matter far too often lately, and after another utter fiasco called Norm of the North and the sheer horror of Agent F.O.X., I did not really want to watch this at all. But one positive review I saw finally convinced me to take the plunge, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised indeed. The animation is very nice; the settings are interesting and imaginative. The characters are interesting, Judy is cute (although I probably should not say that about her), and Nick is likable. The narrative is very good, and it is safe to say it is a pretty good whodunit with lots of twists and an unusually detailed portrayal of an investigation for an animated movie. SPOILER ALERT I watched the suspect and thought it would be nice if the perpetrator were really him. The fact that this came true pleased me; however, when I was expecting the ending and the vague message about equality between all animals, the movie's screenwriters surprised me by going even further and interestingly developing the point they wanted to make. I knew the real perpetrator the moment he turned up, it was almost immediately clear, and the point about equality between the animals and the message of the whole movie worked quite well for me. END OF SPOILERS. As for the comedy aspect, I was not so entertained throughout the entire movie even though I did have a good time for most of it and occasionally laughed (at the sloths, the mafia boss, etc.). All in all, I have just watched a very enjoyable animated movie, and I am satisfied. 8.4/10. (03/03/2016)

What good animated entertainment should primarily be based on, i.e. a playful and colourful alternative to the real world and its social rules, here is brought to perfection, or very close to it. Starring animals of all kinds, it fits the classic buddy movie motifs and mystery detective plot far better than any human crew in the golden era of the genre. Perfect setting, witty personifications of the characters and projection of their characteristics into the cycle of city life (the sloths at the DMV office are AWESOME), a fresh soundtrack and a bunch of hilarious references to famous films. Surprisingly serious at times, applying a bit of lowbrow clichés and family cartoon sentiment, but mostly a joy to watch – a sequel is a must, preferably with Shane Black on board ;) 85% (05/11/2016)

Zootopia cleverly combines the narrative formula of a cop movie about a rookie learning the ropes, a (neo-)noir crime film and socio-political satire. The individual levels are integral to each other and it doesn’t happen that, for example, a case is closed after an hour and a new story begins. It remains necessary to find out why the animals reverted to a feral state, which is why Judy has to return to her hometown for inspiration. There, thanks to the reformed Gideon, she discovers that the treacherousness of some animals is not connected with their origin, but with their nature. The action scenes also have a deeper dramaturgical foundation, taking as an example the Little Rodentia chase scene, during which Judy pursues a thief, who later helps her track down who is behind everything, and also saves the life of the mob boss’s daughter, who later plays her own role. Shortly before the end, Judy can use her acting skills, a demonstration of which we first saw in the opening scene, which leads to an elegant conclusion. It is a joy to see how the filmmakers took care to ensure that the individual components of the narrative worked together and that no motifs seemed incidental. In addition to its textbook conciseness, the film is also delightful with its references to The Godfather and Mission: Impossible (chase on/in a train) and intelligent humour (the now almost cult scene with sloths), which requires a bit more attention and patience from the viewer than other animated studio films. An added bonus that elevates this solid animated multi-genre feature to the level of one of the best American films of recent years is the sensitively composed message (very topical yet universal) about the equality of all animals, the consequences of prejudice, the drawbacks of dishonest political gamesmanship and the risks associated with speaking recklessly. Though the film does not criticise the police – on the contrary, it uses the militarisation of the police for one of the final gags – it points out that those who have great power and great influence on public opinion should choose their words especially carefully. Zootopia may not offer as elaborate a world as some Pixar films or the abundance of straightforward entertainment provided by Madagascar 3, but emotionally, narratively and intellectually, it is the pinnacle of contemporary animation and (perhaps) a future Disney classic. 90% (03/02/2021)

This is the best human rights agitprop, and I only take issue with the creative cowardice regarding the fundamental moral issue of predator eating habits. Otherwise, it is in all respects an absolutely fantastic crime film, a top-notch buddy movie, a dynamic action ride, and an all-round reference (Jesse and Walter are amazing!) containing a spectacle that will define the term "feel good" for a long time to come. (05/21/2016)