Zootopia (2016)

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba

Synopsis:
A rookie cop teams up with a grifter to solve a missing person case that is part of a much larger conspiracy.

Impressions:
I had high hopes for this film based on the trailers and I wasn't disappointed. This really is a fine film that tackles some rather mature themes beneath its cute exterior. I find it interesting that the film both lampoons PC and plays it straight. I find the real-world implications of the meta-text to be hopelessly naive, but it honestly couldn't be played any other way and even if it could, it wouldn't. We're going to sweep all that under the rug for the moment, though. The movie looks gorgeous, the character design is very appealing (Judy is friggin' adorable), and the multiple-biome design of Zootopia not only looks great but also allows for a wide variety of set pieces. The dialog is sharp, the humor on point and the aforementioned set pieces solid. Ginnifer Goodwin delivers a fine performance as Judy and Jason Bateman is also quite good as Nick. The two characters have a really good dynamic. And I'd be remiss to not tip my hat to any performance by Idris Elba. He's great as Chief Bogo. Besides dealing with themes of racism, prejudice, stereotyping, etc., there's also an interesting take on Disney's perennial theme of dreams with the very idealistic Judy facing some rather bitter cynicism on the subject in the big city. It's also interesting how the film fully immerses itself in modern smartphone culture. Setting aside any personal baggage I have with what's going on under the hood, its a fine film and well worth seeing.

Rating:
Own It