Zootopia (2016) review

A bunny named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), who was raised by carrot farmers but believes "anyone can be anything" and therefore wants to become a police officer (ignoring the concern of others) gets trained, moves to "big city" Zootopia (where "predators and prey live in harmony") and begins her career as a meter maid but quickly volunteers to track down a missing otter ... with the help of streetwise fox Nick (Jason Bateman). One can pretend this isn't a metaphor for modern times and issues with the police (and the whole Black Lives Matter movement), but there's plenty there to pick and choose from - "deep down, we're animals," "predators return to their natural state," "fear always works" - which makes it socially relevant (aside from being 'light' fare about pursuing your dreams no matter the obstacles). It's unfortunate that in the third act, lost as to where to take the project, they go (unadvisedly) conspiratorial: as it turns out, the "predators" are being "injected" with some purple drug (synthetic marijuana...?) that makes them go mad in a wacky plot initiated by a ewe. The voice cast is superb, however - Bateman's smarminess is used to full effect - and I never thought I'd chuckle at (a.) sloths running a DMV or (b.) the Godfather references.