Zootopia – great for the whole family!

Zootopia is a place where no matter what you are
—from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew—
you can be anything.

It’s been a while since Disney made a movie with only animals… The Lion King and Robin Hood come to mind. The main character in this film is Judy Hopps, an eternally-optimistic bunny rabbit who’s dream is to one day be a police officer. Her dream comes true. Sort of. She moves to Zootopia, but is relegated to traffic duty and quickly discovers that being a little bunny on a team of big, tough animals isn’t easy. When she meets Nick Wilde, a sly, fast-talking fox, everything changes. They eventually learn to work together to crack a big case and save Zootopia.

Zootopia is fast-paced and incredibly entertaining. In fact, I didn’t take my eyes off the screen for a second. The characters are instantly likable and the animation is just beautiful to watch. The voices of the animals are brought to life by actors Ginnifer Goodwin (Judy Hopps), Jason Bateman (Nick Wilde), Idris Elba, Bonnie Hunt, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, and the singer Shakira, among others.

Unlike many animated films, Zootopia is not predictable at all. There are SO many unexpected references and laugh-out-loud moments, but ultimately it’s a story that will touch your heart and stick with you long after you walk out of the theater. Zootopia is timely and speaks to socially relevant issues in a way that’s easy for kids to understand and parents to address. Disney is so good at this… one of the reasons I loved Inside Out last year.

Should you go see Zootopia in 3D? Good question! There was only one scene where Maura jumped because of the 3D effects, so it’s not very scary, but with that said, 3D also doesn’t add a lot to the film. You’ll enjoy the regular movie just as much and save quite a bit of money if you’re taking the whole family.

Rated PG, Zootopia opens in theaters on Friday, March 4th. Be sure to stick around for the credits… you won’t want to miss the Gazelle concert! Played by Shakira, she sings the all-new original song, “Try Everything,” which was written by Sia and songwriting duo Stargate. It’s a beautiful and upbeat song, perfect for the movie. Listen to it here:

If you’d like a child’s opinion of the movie, please read my daughter’s review of Zootopia on her new blog, Pixie Dust & Potions. I think it’s well-written and really cute, but I may be a little biased. 😉 Download activity sheets for your kids here.

*I went to an early screening of Zootopia, but all opinions are my own.