An excellent animated movie with a dark side

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2017)

Zootopia is the story of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny with the grand desire of becoming the first rabbit officer in the Zootopia Police Department. Despite working hard and graduating at the top of her class, Judy is stuck as a meter maid until she is given 48 hours to solve a major case. With her badge on the line, she drags wily fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) into the investigation, and the two uncover a conspiracy that threatens the entire city.
The theme of the movie focuses on Judy's attempts to become a "real cop" and help others despite being a rabbit. The academy instructor mocks her for every failure. Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) assigns her meter maid duty. The con-artist Nick also mocks her at first, although his thoughts change as they work together. Being small is a major drawback in the world of Zootopia as well, but she uses this drawback to her advantage in much the same way the title character of Paul Blart: Mall Cop uses his hypoglycemia to set up a criminal for a surprise attack.
While the film is beautiful, there is a darker side. It deals with prejudice between predator and prey, as well as against certain species. For instance, foxes are expected to be shifty and conniving, and Nick explains to Judy why he lives the con-artist life he lives. What is seen of Nick's law-bending life further demonstrates how some species are badly treated, even in the supposed shining city of Zootopia.
Lighting is used to great effect in the movie to show moods, such as the point where Judy is begging Nick for help. While he stands in the sunlight, she stands in shadow as if abandoned, and she only joins him in the light after he's agreed to help her. The camera angles are also used to show how different the various species are in terms of size, with even the small bunny Judy towering over the mice in Little Rodentia.
Despite the many obstacles she faces, Judy manages to not only become a police officer, but to become the "real cop" she has always wanted to be. The film's take on predator/prey relations makes it very believable, and I would highly suggest viewing Zootopia to anyone who likes animated movies or animals.