Adorable

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2016)

The film displays many discourses on real world subjects and for that I give this a thumbs up. Though it may not explicitly refer to the real world, there are definitely similarities in Zootopia in which children growing up can extend to their world. The stereotyping based on appearance and 'biology' was a big theme in the film, and ultimately hints at race (that is how I interpreted it anyhow). I feel that the film did a great job at discussing the stigma attached to certain appearances, as well as finding a resolution to this way of thought. Appearances do not govern who we are, and biology does not dictate who we become.
Additionally, the script is superb and keeps audiences engaged. The voice actors did a great job - as did the animators, to create the life of these characters. I also really loved (and was also somewhat annoyed by) the addition of the sloths. They added a comedic and recurrent comedic effect, and their slow motion is both hilarious and frustrating to watch.
Though I do think the characters and voice actors complemented each other well, I noticed that certain characters would have accents. For example, the 'mafia' like character, Mr. Big (Maurice LaMarche) has a typical Latino type accent and the yoga instructor Nangi (Gita Reddy) has an Indian accent. I was quite taken aback by this and though it is great to have diversity in the cast, the film should not encourage the stereotyping of race and character. Also, large characters seemed to have loud booming voices that correlated to their size, and smaller characters tended to have softer, squeaky voices. Size does not determine pitch of voice, and this reinforces the idea that people who do not conform to this ideal is abnormal.
Overall, this is a fun and engaging film with good discourses but disappointing voice stereotypes.