Not as "clever" as people are saying

Rating: 6/10 (28 March 2016)

Another Disney movie that follows the same trend of their movies in recent times.
I wouldn't call this a clever movie. The ideas they were trying to get across were so evident that the movie was almost 4D in your face. It's funny that movies like this get so much praise for such a thing, yet the same ideas are spread like crazy over social media every single day. In this movie, they go crazy about equality and then they accentuate stereotypes - that doesn't make much sense to me. (Sloths at the DMV, Moles as the mafia leaders, "Black" deep voiced little animals that are emphasized by being criminals and then playing rap music in their car).
I will however admit that such messages about equality and acceptance are necessary for kids today, though. I just thought it was just too obvious and therefore too eye roll worthy for the more mature.
Also what the hell do those carnivorous animals eat, since every animal is personified? Biologically, these animals living in 'harmony' is greatly flawed.
This movie fell into the trap of seemingly every Disney movie these days. It starts off as funny and charming, yet around half way through the movie, all of this just ends. We get some pointless dark action scenes which 'scare' the kids into keeping them engaged, and there is nothing funny or amusing. In this period of the movie, you're lucky to even grin at all, as all of the thoughtful content has ended. At this point of the movie as usual, it's like the writers have just given up or slacked off in the details department. Then, it's just a guess as to what typical complication, climax and resolution they have decided to pick for this movie. Lately they've been going with the 'nice but secretly evil' route - as they did here. At the end of the movie, there was one thing to laugh about - however it was directly related back to one of the scenes in the first half of the movie. At least the voice acting was fantastic - as expected with every Disney movie.
I personally also found it hilarious when a good portion of the film was very dark, but then they felt that they needed to bring the "children's movie" factor home by having some stupid, EXTREMELY corny concert at the end. It felt a little bit out of place. A waste of the animators' talents when they could have finished with something a bit more cohesive. Gazelle's (or Shakira's) song, was cringe-worthy. Fall Out Boy definitely did a better job with their fitting song "Immortals" in Big Hero 6.
Again, the fact that this is called a clever movie is frustrating. I guess I can't expect much of reviewers though when they call Inside Out "innovative", when that whole concept was a direct rip off of "Herman's Head" and "The Numskulls" . But don't worry u guys because Inside Out is the only innovative, creative one!!!1111111111 (despite the others coming out years beforehand).﻿
I would recommend this movie if you don't have anything to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, as there is nothing much to be overly impressed about for a good chunk of the movie as it's a plot that's been used many many times. I just wish the same charm and humour from the first half of the movie lasted throughout the whole thing. Recently, I've seen "Hotel Transylvania" 1+2 and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", and would definitely recommend those over this movie as at least the charm persists throughout.