Zootopia ** (out of 5) (PG) Here’s a complaint I’ve made before about animated features with adorable characters, and perky trailers, that turn out to be deceptive. Although the film is actually a rather feelgood comedy, it’s longer and less amusing than one will expect from the lead-up indicators. That means its most likely demographic will be kids slightly older than the pulicity and merchandising efforts indicate.
The title refers to a city in a world in which all the mammals have learned to live in harmony. Predators and prey are pals, though it’s not clear how basic eating requirements were altered. A precocious young bunny dreams of becoming the first of her species to become a cop in the Promised Land. Things go poorly before they go well, with the major plot point being the sudden reversion of some animals to their feral state, threatening the delicate balance the city requires.
Although there’s quite a bit of colorful action and reasons to laugh, the product is more of a ham-fisted allegory for believing we can change enough to embrace “others” and thrive in one big happy community of trust and understanding. Carnivores and their former food sources can be besties. If this script strikes an old liberal like your faithful correspondent as too preachy and heavy-handed, it’s likely to make some xenophobic conservative heads explode. Or cause Donald Trump’s hair to bolt from the theater on its own, even before its premise and perspective soak through his skull to register within.
Once your expectations are more in line with the product, take the kids who are most likely to find this entertaining and educational. The 3-D option is not particularly vital to this production, so don’t feel compelled to make an y extra effort for one of those screens. (3/4/16)
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?