Zootopia

Zootopia is a beautiful and fun tale about Judy Hopps, a sweet little bunny with big dreams of becoming a police officer. She's from a small farming town, (growing carrots, of course), so being a police officer in a big city surrounded by predators seems far out of reach. When she arrives on the scene in the sprawling city of Zootopia, she meets a con artist fox named Nick. They must work together to solve an urgent mystery.

Zootopia has a lot going for it. There's action, funny characters and jokes, a sweet message about love and acceptance, and incredible visuals. Disney strikes again with the same studio that created Brave, Tangled, Wreck-it-Ralph,  Big Hero 6, and Frozen. The concept of animals living together in a world of predators and prey is adorable and fun.

Yet, despite all it has going for it, I didn't love Zootopia. I certainly liked it. But, love is such a strong word. After the emotional powerhouse of Inside Out last year, Zootopia left me feeling a bit like something was off. The message of Zootopia is well-intentioned, and quite obvious to adults. Kids will enjoy it, and the message will be far more subtle for them. There are undertones of race relations and sexual orientation in the theme of Zootopia. This is a heavy-handed theme for a children's movie, but possibly necessary. If you're worried about this theme being too much or too inappropriate for your kids, don't. I think it's subtle enough for kids that they won't overtly notice it. But, it's still there.

Hot topics aside, Zootopia is a beautiful movie that's worth a watch. If you haven't seen it already, it's the best kids' movie out right now.