Okay Disney, I officially forgive you for Chicken Little.

Rating: 9/10 (5 May 2016)

Because in terms of the setting, it's kind of like that, but good.
Disney's latest CGI feature outing is beginning to make me question whether or not Deadpool is going to be the best movie I watch all year, as Zootopia is giving it a pretty good run for its money. While watching this, I was struck by all of the things it tries to do differently. Despite the fact that there are predators and prey coexisting, it feels no need to paint one side as better or worse than the other. In fact, it tries to teach that in societies with an "us" and "them" concept, that there are good and bad individuals in both groups. Among other lessons it tries to convey are that things are done for reasons other than the obvious, authority and social roles should be challenged when the need arises, respect should be earned rather than blindly given... I could go on for a while, but I'd get pretty boring and preachy.
So instead, I'll leave behind my after-school special bit and explain what else works. This movie certainly knows how to reference pop culture, in that the reference is innocuous at worst for those who don't get the reference and still manages to work in context without joke behind it (as opposed to loudly declaring "Hey, this thing exists! Now those of you who know the thing, laugh in recognition!"). The characters are also very enjoyable, my personal favourite being Nick Wilde. He's slick without being oily, clever and quick with a pun, but not mean-spirited. In fact, out of the entire cast, he's probably the most level-headed and least presumptuous. Judy is also a great example of an underdog (or should I say underbunny?) who defies the odds and social norms to achieve her dreams, but she's also prone to fallacies and misconceptions, making her likable yet flawed without either feeling forced.
However, there are some things about the movie that bug me a little. Why is it that only the mammals evolved to become how they are today? What about the birds, the fish and the reptiles? Why does the movie go so far to build Zootopia as a place with so many different zones, but only visit a few? And finally, why does it have the hardheaded police chief cliché? If Judy and Nick hadn't pressed him to listen to reason so hard, the movie would have had a much more grim ending. I just wish that there could be a police chief character who had more awareness than a sack of wet concrete.
All in all, though, Zootopia is a great movie that's worth a watch because of its top-notch story, solid characters, superb soundtrack, and thought-provoking messages. If you like this, I'd also recommend Arashi no Yoru ni, which is very similar, minus the modernized setting.