Saw Zootopia... loved it!

Now, before I go further, a bit of context...

I've loved cartoons, and by extension, cartoon animals, for as long as I can remember. I grew up on Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse. I loved anthropomorphic cartoon animals so much that as a kid, I didn't want to watch anything else on TV. If it was a live show or movie, I didn't care. No matter how popular it was with my peers, I wanted to see animated stories and nothing else. As you might expect, those featuring animal characters were always the ones I loved most. I remember watching, and admiring shows like Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers, Thundercats, Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, Road Rovers, Swat Kats, Darkwing Duck, and so on though the years. Movies? No different; The Secret of NIMH remains one of my all-time favorites, and of course you'll find Robin Hood, Kung Fu Panda, and The Lion King in there among others. In fact it was this fascination and love of anthropomorphized animal characters that inspired me to create my own. Even as early as the late 80's, I had already formed the basis of an idea that would eventually become Auran Connection, inspired by all those cartoons I thrived on.

Then I see the first concept image for a film called Zootopia, and after my initial joy at the expectation of a new anthro-animal franchise, something makes me pause. This one seemed different somehow. Fresh, in a way. It didn't seem to be just about funny animal characters, but also the world they inhabited. An entire setting developed solely to accommodate these characters in a unique way that many others did not. It was special, and I could only hope that Disney would pull it off.

They did.

Zootopia was amazing! The characters are all stunningly detailed and animated, and the creators did this not just with a bunch of humanoid templates with mix 'n match features, but with an entire range of sizes and species, each one unique in their differences. They also designed a functioning world that, while humorously pointing out what makes all these species unique, also fits so logically with them that I couldn't help but share in Judy's amazement as she first stepped into the wondrous city that gives the film its name. It's all totally brought to life by a talented cast and a team of animators that put so much heart into them that one of the reasons I want to see the movie again is just to catch everything I missed the first time around.

Not only that, but the story is surprisingly relevant. It seems perfectly fitted to the struggles our own modern world faces. I also like the fact that the creators didn't shy away from the deeper aspects of its central plot, with scenes and thematic material that I have not seen in a children's film since the early 90's and before. I admire Disney for letting the film have these tenser, more thought-provoking moments amidst all the humor rather than it just be a long line of disjointed attempts at animal puns.

Heh, I recall seeing a few of my friends on Twitter saying that wouldn't mind seeing a cop procedural series based in Zootopia... As hesitant as I am to think of this beautiful setting turning grimdark, I gotta admit I would totally watch something like that, too.

So yeah... go see this movie. It has appealed to my long-held admiration of anthropomorphized animal people, and far surpassed my hopes in seeing a world like this brought to life from such a prominent company like Disney. I definitely want to see this again.

Oh, and Gazelle... swoon