An Animal Metropolis for All

    The new Disney Animation generation is still on a hot streak, thanks to the success and acclaim of their past, recent hits, Frozen and Big Hero 6. Their latest entry, Zootopia, gives a good omen that the studio is keeping Walt's vision alive to make great animated films like this.

    Fresh from her home in Bunnyburrow, bunny Judy Hopps (voiced by Gennifer Goodwin from ABC's Once Upon a Time) arrives in Zootopia, a place where prey and predator both live in peace and harmony. Judy is there because she's fulfilling her lifelong dream of being a police officer for the Zootopia Police Department and trying to "make a world a better place". The good news: She's the first rabbit cop on the force. The bad news: She's assigned to parking duty.

   On the job, she then meets Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), a fox and a con artist. They don't get along at first, but soon they decide to team up to take on a case involving some missing mammals. It leads them to places such as a nudist spa, a arctic shrew mob boss' home and the DMV controlled by some sloths (in one of the most funniest scenes I've seen on the big screen in quite a while) to get clues in a period of 48 hours to crack the case. 

    This thoughtful and very funny film is good at the start. But, it gets more poignant and meaningful midway through. The missing mammals plot even has a twist at the climax that is worth a shocker for the audience. 

    The animation is simply splendid. Even the look of the city from its skyline to the areas surrounding the place looks lavishing. Kudos must go to directors Bryon Howard and Rich Moore. There's even homages to The Godfather and Breaking Bad and in-jokes to the past Disney films already mentioned in this review. 

   The voice cast, especially Bateman and Goodwin, are excellent. Other notables in the cast include Idris Elba as Judy's police buffalo chief, J.K. Simmons as the town's lion mayor, Pixar vet Bonnie Hunt (A Bug's Life, Cars) as Judy's mom and Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate as the sheep assistant mayor.

    The film sends home a message that no matter who you are and what you are, we're all in this planet together to make it a "better place". 

   Until Pixar's Finding Dory arrives in June, Zootopia is currently in the top ranking for the year's best animated film. Take anyone you know to see it. And if the movie theater allows, take your pet too.

  Rating:***1/2

  Parent Advisory: Zootopia is rated PG for some thematic humor, rude humor and action. Suitable for ages 3 and up.