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Zootropolis/Zootopia

7/10

Stars: Voices: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J K Simmons, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Octavia Spencer, Shakira, Tommy Chong

Director: Byron Hayward, Rich Moore

A lively Disney cartoon feature that's full of little surprises, even if the writers' attempts to pull the wool over our eyes as to the main villain's identity aren't entirely a success.

Ever since she was a baby bunny, Judy Hopps (well voiced by Goodwin) has dreamed of becoming the first rabbit to qualify as a cop in distant Zootropolis, where (nearly) all animals wear clothes, and live together in harmony.

After a gruelling training course, Judy graduates, G I Jane-style, and finds that the city's police force, led by a buffalo (Elba) are facing a spate of missing mammals, all former predators.

Arriving bright and early for her first morning, Judy is mortified to find herself put on parking duty, a chore she tackles with her usual zeal; her parents back in Biunnyburrow are just delighted she's out of danger. But, after booking 200 cars before noon, and being outwitted by a sly fox, Nick (Bateman), who turns his elephant lolly into dozens of little ones and makes a huge profit, Judy seizes the chance to find a missing otter, thanks to the intervention of deputy mayor Bellwether (Slate), a friendly sheep.

Incidental touches include the population of Bunnyburrow zooming up even as we watch the town sign - 'We're very good at multiplication,' says Judy later - Judy conning the wolves into a compulsive communal howl to escape their vigilance, and the Bank of Lemmings, whose members troop out in a row to buy Nick's lollipops.

David Quinlan

USA 2016. UK Distributor: Disney. Colour by Fotokem.
102 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 24 Jul 2016

DVD review