A lower-rung Disney effort.

Rating: 4/10 (20 March 2016)

Bright, bubbly, breakneck: all defining characteristics of Disney's latest animated adventure. Sanctimonious, serious, seldom funny: other key traits that suffocate this family film until there's very little left to enjoy. With multiple ecosystems and a plethora of cultural subsets – mirroring our own society wouldn't you know – the anthropomorphic animal-world is conceptually interesting and beautifully animated, but the story told within this universe is disappointingly dull. The simple predators-and-prey-living-together plot device should've been ripe for subtle metaphors amongst zippy action and constant laughs, yet the film's themes – breaking down stereotypes, looking past race, being inclusive – are hammered home so heavy-handedly it feels like you're getting in trouble. A major issue is the lack of humour (or more accurately: successful humour) which, save for a truly hilarious sloth-centred sequence that had me in tears, is woefully misjudged and/or drowned out by the persistence of shoving a point down our throat. The muddled tone makes for a confusing viewing too; the unapologetic innocent nature of proceedings suggests this is aimed squarely at the toddler demographic, yet the Godfather and 'Breaking Bad' references are directly at odds with this. The infectiously optimistic bunny at the movie's heart, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), is a sweet and likable protagonist, however the mischievous fox who partners with Hopps, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), has more depth and charisma. A lower-rung Disney effort with a gratingly obvious agenda, Zootopia hints at brilliance but frustratingly falls way short.