I’m a sucker for Disney movies. But while I enjoyed most of their recent features (“Frozen”, “Big Hero 6”), I can’t remember the last time I loved a Disney animated movie as much as I loved “Zootropolis” (or “Zootopia” in the States). It evokes the best qualities of classic Disney, while adding fresh elements that seem damn near irresistible. Directors Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush have described their story as a cross between the brilliant 1997 film “L.A Confidential” and a Richard Scarry book (I basically grew up reading his books). It certainly feels like it. The heroine of this unusual story is a rabbit named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) whose dream is to become a police officer. One day she decides to leave her parents’ carrot farm and move to the big city of Zootropolis in order to fulfill her dream. There she meets and teams up with a sly fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to uncover an underground conspiracy. There’s never a dull moment in “Zootropolis”, which throws in so many colorful characters and clever references to classic movies and series. If this doesn’t sound like any Disney animated movie you’ve seen before, then perhaps you’re right. But that’s what makes it so good. It’s easily Disney’s most original and rewarding film in years. I absolutely loved it.

Rating: 3.5/4