Review - Zootopia (2016)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. And, with Disney releasing the sequel to this movie in a matter of weeks, it seems like the time has come to review the 2016 Disney Animated film Zootopia, featuring the voices of Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jenny Slate, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, and J.K. Simmons. 

       The movie tells the story of Judy Hopps, a rabbit from a rural town called Bunnyburrow, who has big dreams of being a police officer in the metropolis of Zootopia. Upon her arrival, police chief Bogo assigns her parking duty, but she later volunteers to look in to the disappearances of a number of predators across the city. Judy's first order of business is to get information from a local con artist named Nick Wilde, who joins her in the investigation that leads across the city, leading to run ins with a crime boss named Mr. Big, a pop idol named Gazelle, and many others. 

         Ultimately, Judy and Nick discover that several predators have been locked in an asylum, having somehow regressed to their base animal instincts. Shockingly, the Mayor of Zootopia, Leodore Lionheart, has been the one locking them up to determine the cause of how they've regressed. Both Lionheart and the asylum staff are arrested, assistant Mayor Dawn Bellweather is promoted to the position of Mayor, and Judy is hailed for solving the case. However, her actions lead to greater sentiment against predators, and a guilt ridden Judy returns to Bunnyburrow. 

       Working her family's vegetable stand, Judy discovers something startling. It turns out that there's a flower called Midnicampum, and it has severe psychotropic effects when ingested, and someone is using it to regress the predators across Zootopia to their base animal instincts. Judy returns to Zootopia, reconciles and joins up with Nick, and the two work with Mr. Big to interrogate Duke Weaselton, who reveals that he was hired by a ram named Doug to deliver the Midnicampum bulbs. Doug, it turns out, has an underground laboratory, where he takes the Midnicampum and turns it into tranquilizer darts, which are being used to turn predators back into mindless animals. And, who is behind this plot? Bellweather, it turns out. Why? Well, she is revealed to be a "prey-supremacist" looking to change the natural order or something. Anyway, she and her accomplices are arrested, Mayor Lionheart is reinstated, and Judy gets her job back at Zootopia PD. Nine months later, Nick graduates from the police academy, and he and Judy become partners in the Zootopia PD. 

      While not my favorite Disney animated film of 2016, as I personally preferred Moana, I gotta say that Zootopia was kinda fun. The idea of a world of anthropomorphic animals and the idea that they would form a utopian metropolis is kinda neat. The characters are colorful, and brought to life with brilliant voice performances by Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Idris Elba, and so forth. But, it's the villain and the plot that doesn't sit with me. Seriously, I am not buying some harmless little lamb like Bellweather as a credible threat, it's just not happening. Other than that, this is a fun one to watch, and one I can recommend for kids. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.