housands of years ago, fear and bloodlust dominated animal interactions between carnivorous predators and meek prey. But through plenty of evolution, all creatures now live in harmony. In this modern, developed society (quite similar to humankind), many young animals even aspire to be actuaries and astronauts. And little Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), from the small town of Bunny Burrow, hopes to become a police officer in the distant megalopolis of Zootopia. Despite putting up with local bully Gideon (Phil Johnston) and being pressured by her parents to become a carrot farmer (like her hundreds of siblings), Judy refuses to give up on her dream of joining the Zootopia Police Academy – especially since there has never been a bunny cop before.

15 years later, Judy indeed becomes the first rabbit officer – graduating at the top of her class. She’s assigned to the ZPD, a bit to the dismay of her family, who are understandably concerned about her safety in the big city. But she’s immediately relegated to parking duty when her superior (Chief Bogo, recognizably voiced by Idris Elba) doesn’t take her seriously. And on her first day on the force, while being the best meter maid possible, she’s hustled by a wily fox called Nick (Jason Bateman), who reinforces the idea that Judy isn’t a real policewoman and will never make it in her profession of choice – solely because tiny, timid rabbits are inherently incapable of transcending their carrot-farming heritage. But when Mr. Otterton goes missing, Judy stakes her career on finding him – which requires blackmailing Nick into helping her navigate Zootopia’s dangerous underworld.

The basic plot – a missing-persons mystery – is contradictorily serious and based in a human reality (where cell phones, automobiles, and traffic cameras come in handy), which makes for a rather amusing environment for cute, cuddly little creatures, who are anthropomorphized to an extreme. The designs are shaped to the point that all the characters might as well have been caricatured humans, with upright gaits and full sets of clothing (suits include pants and ties and occasionally even shoes, while dresses are accompanied by cardigans and jewelry). A hierarchy of criminals, commentary on biological impulses and instincts, and gangster movie nods further push the story into something of a severe, adventurous, noirish thriller, contrasting significantly with the imagery of chubby cheeks and oversized eyes. It’s as if the inhabitants of A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” stories or the tales of Beatrix Potter were set in “Chinatown,” which is utterly unique yet largely incompatible.

“You throw like a bunny.” The film also tackles the notions of breaking out of conventions or stereotypes and the examination of backwards attitudes toward interspecies interactions. Amidst the donut jokes and the outrageous representation of the DMV (run entirely by sloths), “Zootopia” includes plenty of observations on racism (or species-ism), prejudices/intolerance, bullying, and societal complexities (or political correctness issues) between the various animals (for example, only bunnies can call other bunnies “cute”). And, like many of Disney’s darker forays, it confronts the notion that dreams don’t come true on their own – or that uncommon heroism is necessary to make things turn out all right. It’s also unbelievably timely, as it reflects the social unrest currently going on in the world – though the abundance of humor and action help to mask all the underlying themes that can be construed as far too adult or mature for the family-friendly layout.

– Mike Massie