Zootopia (2016), PG, ★★★1/2

Whoops!

There are going to be a lot of animated movies with animals in the headlines this year and the animal movie fest starts with this latest Disney animated creation. Also, why don't you have a tiresome buddy-cop genre and mix with a fresh animated species-world? Why not? That's not such a bad idea. When watching the ads for this movie, I knew that this movie was going to be geared towards the children, their main demographic, however, there was one trailer that was purely brilliant to spotlight for the entire audience and it's in the movie which involves a DMV. That sold me. But, with the blend of sophisticated humor, banter and action between the two main characters and the storyline, I dug this movie.

Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit from her rural town and a big family who demoralizes her of pursuing to become a police officer, has now become a self-determined police officer of Zootopia, a world of anthropomorphic animals. As she now arrives to the police department, she meets her chief, Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba), who assigns her to parking duty. Nobody on the force sees Judy capable of police duty since she is compared to the larger predator animals.

Judy reaches the goal of selling 200 parking tickets before the day is over. Judy goes into an elephant ice cream shop where she meets a sly fox named Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) with a smaller fox named Finnick (voiced by Tom Lister Jr.). Judy buys Nick and Finnick a giant popsicle since the elephant denied them the offer. Nick, however, sells, popsicle juice to the rodents as Judy finds out about this and confronts him but Nick manages to evade her.

As a police chase gone terribly wrong for Judy, Mrs. Otterton (voiced by Octavia Spencer) enters and asks Bogo about her missing husband amidst a series of missing animals. Judy volunteers but is given 48 hours to find Mr. Otterton, or she is off the force. When looking into evidence based on some footage, she sees that Nick and Finnick are conning again as she recorded Nick with a carrot pen of his crimes. Finnick ditches Nick and Nick helps Judy find Mr. Otterton.

What's wrong?

I was pleasantly thrilled and enthralled by the visually-stunning and enjoyable animated movie that places so much panache in its humor and storytelling into one film. It molds in the crime/detective genre with the buddy cop genre and even though predictable in its set-up of how it develops the characters and the case, I did not know who was behind the missing animals. And, I was surprised as to who did it but there was a little lull in the middle of the film that took a while to get to the conclusion of the case.

The rabbit voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin is quirky and self-determined with her wit and work ethic but sets up the theme and message quite well as this is an anthropomorphic utopia that blends both predators and prey together. But, the one brilliant casting choice of the fox is Jason Bateman as he is cunning and humorous especially playing off Judy. We hear Idris Elba as the stern cop, J.K. Simmons, who is suddenly in demand after his voice work in Kung Fu Panda 3, as the mayor and Shakira as the gazelle who has a song in the end of the credits.

Despite a few nitpicked moments as to how its structured as a movie and with a few genre, this is a sumptuous and luscious visual look of animated utopia that is intricate to both its atmosphere in its story and its message. The tone of the movie is light-hearted with its scattered jokes which will appeal to both kids and adults alike. I was shocked by one joke that was thrown in this movie. (Try to find out which one it is.) I am not sure where it will rank in the Disney animated film genre but it certainly is a very fun time and very appealing time at the movies to spend a day with the family with during a weekend or maybe spring break.

***1/2