15 Best Films Of 2016 (So Far)

The exclamation “best Disney movie since The Lion King” is becoming a little tired. After an embarrassing slump in the naughties, the animation house is back with such force in-house buddies Pixar may need to up their game. And, after the watershed of Tangled, the House that Mickey built has been on a roll that rivals that of the 1990s Renaissance, with each subsequent movie getting compared to the best of those classics; Frozen even had the line worked into its advertising.

Even greater than that revisionist fairytale, however, is Zootopia (Zootropolis in the UK). I normally find needlessly anthropomorphised animal societies incredibly irritating (so, yes, I’m not a massive fan of Robin Hood) because there’s no real purpose to any of it outside of plushies, but this one not only finds a way for it to work, but makes the conflict of the idea the backbone of the film.

It’s top notch Disney all round - hilarious, well-animated and full of childlike glee - although what so shocked me was the weight it carried. Zootopia doesn't just extoll the benefits of family or friendship, but examine complex ideas of racial equality and ingrained prejudice. The kids who are growing up with this one don't realise how well it'll hold up.

For more on Zootopia, check out 24 Easter Eggs & References You Probably Missed.