Zootopia

This is the best human rights agitprop, and I only take issue with the creative cowardice regarding the fundamental moral issue of predator eating habits. Otherwise, it is in all respects an absolutely fantastic crime film, a top-notch buddy movie, a dynamic action ride, and an all-round reference (Jesse and Walter are amazing!) containing a spectacle that will define the term "feel good" for a long time to come. (21/05/2016)

What good animated entertainment should primarily be based on, i.e. a playful and colourful alternative to the real world and its social rules, here is brought to perfection, or very close to it. Starring animals of all kinds, it fits the classic buddy movie motifs and mystery detective plot far better than any human crew in the golden era of the genre. Perfect setting, witty personifications of the characters and projection of their characteristics into the cycle of city life (the sloths at the DMV office are AWESOME), a fresh soundtrack and a bunch of hilarious references to famous films. Surprisingly serious at times, applying a bit of lowbrow clichés and family cartoon sentiment, but mostly a joy to watch – a sequel is a must, preferably with Shane Black on board ;) 85% (11/05/2016)

I've long wished someone had filmed Bryan Talbot's divine comic “Grandville", and Zootopia is close to my idea of what it should be like. It's a wonderfully imaginative cartoon from a thoughtful setting, with a story almost like a comedy crime story for adults (48 Hours, The Last Boy Scout, Midnight Run...), sympathetic characters and the best parody of The Godfather I've ever seen. I must also praise the Czech dubbing with new and precisely fitting voices. (11/05/2016)

A crime movie in the style of Shane Black :-). The sloths made me laugh like nothing in the past few years has done. I literally cried. The animals look super cute and there’s a bunch of playful details and apt references to the real human world as well as to classic movies. Moreover, the film has an additional message for today’s Europe that its makers probably didn’t even intend to send. I won’t add a fifth star only because the idea behind Zootopia is not as strong as in Inside Out. Zootopia is “only” perfect fun. (29/03/2016)

Zootopia cleverly combines the narrative formula of a cop movie about a rookie learning the ropes, a (neo-)noir crime film and socio-political satire. The individual levels are integral to each other and it doesn’t happen that, for example, a case is closed after an hour and a new story begins. It remains necessary to find out why the animals reverted to a feral state, which is why Judy has to return to her hometown for inspiration. There, thanks to the reformed Gideon, she discovers that the treacherousness of some animals is not connected with their origin, but with their nature. The action scenes also have a deeper dramaturgical foundation, taking as an example the Little Rodentia chase scene, during which Judy pursues a thief, who later helps her track down who is behind everything, and also saves the life of the mob boss’s daughter, who later plays her own role. Shortly before the end, Judy can use her acting skills, a demonstration of which we first saw in the opening scene, which leads to an elegant conclusion. It is a joy to see how the filmmakers took care to ensure that the individual components of the narrative worked together and that no motifs seemed incidental. In addition to its textbook conciseness, the film is also delightful with its references to The Godfather and Mission: Impossible (chase on/in a train) and intelligent humour (the now almost cult scene with sloths), which requires a bit more attention and patience from the viewer than other animated studio films. An added bonus that elevates this solid animated multi-genre feature to the level of one of the best American films of recent years is the sensitively composed message (very topical yet universal) about the equality of all animals, the consequences of prejudice, the drawbacks of dishonest political gamesmanship and the risks associated with speaking recklessly. Though the film does not criticise the police – on the contrary, it uses the militarisation of the police for one of the final gags – it points out that those who have great power and great influence on public opinion should choose their words especially carefully. Zootopia may not offer as elaborate a world as some Pixar films or the abundance of straightforward entertainment provided by Madagascar 3, but emotionally, narratively and intellectually, it is the pinnacle of contemporary animation and (perhaps) a future Disney classic. 90% (02/03/2021)