Zootopia (2016)

For as much of a Disney shill as I constantly profess to be, I don’t know why I’m continually surprised by how good their recent output is. Case in point: Zootopia. What is there to say? I loved it. My greatest disappointment was that there wasn’t an animated short to play before the film.

Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) dreams of being the first bunny cop in Zootopia, a city populated by a mélange of animals. Her first assignment, parking meter duty, isn’t as glamorous as she had hoped, but it brings her into contact with streetwise fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), who proves to be an unlikely lead in a string of missing animals, which – in the vein of all good cop stories – Judy only has 48 hours to solve.

Zootopia is directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, who previously directed Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph, respectively, and I think you can, in a way, situate Zootopia roughly between those two. That situation isn’t on a spectrum of good-to-bad, because I really enjoyed both films in rather different circumstances. Zootopia blends the narrative strengths and compelling female protagonist of Tangled with the sweeping world-building and dry wit of Wreck-It Ralph in order to give us this uproariously funny fish-out-of-water action comedy.

There’s been much made in the press around the film about the decision made late in production to place the focus on Judy instead of Nick. And honestly, even if we weren’t living in a world where we still don’t have a female-led solo Avengers film, even if 2016 weren’t the first time in seventy-five years that Wonder Woman was appearing in a live-action film, it still would have been the right decision. Watching the film, it’s difficult to imagine how the story might have worked with Nick at the helm; there’s something much more successful about meeting Zootopia through Judy’s naïve eyes, allowing Nick to take us and Judy by the floppy ears and show us around. Making him the lead protagonist might have stripped him of some of his charm; we don’t know him as well as Judy, which gives Bateman free rein to do the fast-talking snark he’s perfected.

The other real delight in Zootopia is the way it works on two levels. There’s the classic Disney level, with solid storytelling that the kids will love. But then there’s the valence of Zootopia that appeals to the adults in the audience who can appreciate the extended reference to The Godfather, the thick metaphors about difference at play in the film, or the fact that the entire film is basically Chinatown with funny animals. This is the way that “kids’ films” ought to behave, not talking down to the kids or shouting up at the adults. Once again, Disney knocks it out of the park.

Then again, I’d have given Zootopia an all-star rating if it had just been two hours of the sloths working at the DMV. That never gets old.

Zootopia is rated PG for “some thematic elements, rude humor and action.” A scene where we see unclothed animals described as “naturists” is played for laughs, given that all the other animals are fully dressed. Several moments in which animals go savage may frighten younger viewers.

Heads up, True Believers – we’ll continue to Make Yours Marvel this Wednesday with another installment in “The Grand Marvel Rewatch,” so check back then for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Or subscribe above, and receive those missives right in your inbox. Nuff said!