Best Disney Movie of the Decade

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2019)

It is becoming more and more apparent that Walt Disney Animation Studios no longer holds the monopoly on animation like it did in the past. While they ruled the world of animation for decades, especially in the 90s, they are now constantly competing with Pixar, DreamWorks, Illumination, and others to deliver on animated films. Still, Disney has been quite successful in this decade. Zootopia is quite possibly their best movie of the 2010s, so far. Zootopia, unlike some of the other recent Disney movies, prominently features a core message, which in this case is one regarding discrimination. It's about Judy Hops, a bunny who strives to become the first bunny cop, much to the dismay of her family and many of Zootopia's inhabitants. Eventually she comes across a large conspiracy that affects all of the city. Judy is a good character because she's strong willed and determined, and the audience sees all of her struggles, and shows all of the ups and downs of her plight. She's joined by Nick Wilde, a fox (who in this world are like minorities) who is at different points a friend and enemy of Judy. Either way, he's a fun character to watch because he can handle himself in any situation. The message is conveyed well because it isn't preachy, it isn't blatantly stated, and it's given through well-written and relatable characters.
The animation is on par with Disney's reputation as the best animation studio in the world. Everything, from the designs of the animals, to the detail on their fur, to all the different environments of Zootopia, is animated spectacularly. We'd expect no less from Disney. With the environments, the creativity is out in full force. You have the city, which is designed to accommodate each individual animal, you have jungles, tundras, and all these different places where different animals originate from.
The mystery aspect is also handled quite well, in that it keeps both kids and adults interested, and it takes Judy and Nick on an adventure through the world of Zootopia. It also takes us to the underworld of Zootopia, showing us some of the crime of the city as well. Without giving away the joke, there's a hilarious scene that parodies The Godfather, which is probably the best scene in the movie.
If there's one thing to complain about, it's the ending. Disney really, really, really needs to stop with the twist villain trend. It worked in Frozen, it worked in Coco, but it doesn't work here. There's no reason for Bellwether to turn out to be a villain like that. And since they do it so often, it's not a matter of "are they going to do it again" it's "who is it going to turn out to be." This movie didn't need a villain at all. The prejudices held by some of the people of Zootopia are enough of a villain, it isn't necessary to include an innocent looking sheep who's actually a criminal mastermind drug lord.
Zootopia is an excellent addition to Disney's lineup, and even their best movie of the 2010s, delivering strong characters, an incredibly creative world, an interesting storyline, and top-notch animation. This is a must-watch for families and enthusiasts of animation.