Zootopia is a modern mammal metropolis where both prey and predator live in harmony. When officer Judy Hopps (Ginny Goodwin) arrives on the scene as the first bunny officer of the Zootopia Police Department, she discovers that Zootopia isn’t as perfect as it seems. Her dreams of becoming a police officer turn into the reality that she is charged with parking duty. Determined to prove herself as a police officer, she pursues a case with the help of the wily fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to find a missing otter. Zootopia is a modern story with quite a bit of heart and a great moral.
Quality
Zootopia is a beautiful movie. Visually, this is a movie that is incredibly interesting to watch. Throughout the movie, the scenes that are created are both interesting to look at and full of depth and detail. Both the environment and the background characters add to the story being told. One favorite moment was as Judy Hopps was leaving home for Zootopia and what appeared to be her grandfather was waving in the background. I sincerely hope there is a short with him someday. The audio also helped create an immersive environment for the animals living in Zootopia.
Story
Dreams aren’t always easy and neither is friendship. For a movie built in a world of fuzzy animals, Zootopia offers a surprising array of life lessons that are applicable to our modern world. The story was smart, charming, and made sense. The pacing moved along at a comfortable pace. The humor was enjoyable. All of this added up to a movie that was enjoyable to watch but also had the ability to make one think.
Characters
Zootopia has introduced the world to literally a whole new world of Disney characters. The main characters, Hopps and Wilde, were a fantastic and unexpected pair of friends. This was very much a buddy cop movie. Beyond the main duo, the supporting characters each were characters that could hold their own. It can be guessed that we haven’t seen the last of the citizens of Zootopia. One can only guess that either the main characters, or some of the supporting characters, will appear in future projects. This would not be a bad thing at all.
Music
The music in Zootopia fit well enough. I will admit, I really didn’t notice much of the score throughout the movie. The songs that were added, both original and not, fit into the movie perfectly though. They were a welcome addition. Shakira’s character and song Try Everything was a fantastic edition to the movie.
Final Thoughts
Zootopia is one of those rare movies that exceed expectations. It is a movie about rejecting prejudice, embracing differences, and pursuing dreams. While sharing these messages, it also acknowledges that achieving them aren’t easy. As I reflect on Zootopia I look forward to seeing how this film develops. I look forward to seeing it again and also seeing how the story continues and expands. This is definitely a movie worth seeing and easily earns a hat tip. Go out and see it.
