Creatures great and small live in perfect harmony in Byron Howard and Rich Moore’s anthropomorphic animated feature that continues Disney’s winning streak under the creative leadership of John Lasseter.

Zootropolis is a beautifully crafted parable that elegantly combines a noir detective thriller, buddy cop comedy and coming of age story with the studio's trademark visual splendour.

It's a tour de force of uproarious laughter and tears, accompanied by a gorgeous genre-melding orchestral score from Michael Giacchino that tugs the heartstrings.

Screenwriters Jared Bush and Phil Johnston engineer plentiful hairpin twists and turns, mining comedy from mammalian traits while underscoring each bravura set piece with valuable life lessons about prejudice, tolerance and teamwork.

Neat visual gags abound while it also cheekily pokes fun at Frozen's song of empowerment, Let It Go, before unleashing its own infectious anthem, Try Everything, sung to the rafters by Shakira in the guise of a chart-topping savannah diva called Gazelle.

Judy the bunny (Ginnifer Goodwin) earns her police badge as part of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative championed by Mayor Leodore Lionheart and his second in command, Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate).

Judy is initially assigned to traffic duty by Chief Bogo (voiced by man of the moment Idris Elba), who doubts her abilities.

But she proves her worth by gathering evidence from concerned wife Mrs Otterton gets con artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to help her break the case.

Working with an animal who should be her sworn enemy, she stumbles upon a grand conspiracy.

Zootropolis is 108 minutes of unadulterated joy, rendered in exquisitely detailed animation.

Vocal performances are flawless, particularly Goodwin as the dreamer with a big heart, who truly believes that anyone can achieve their dreams if they put their paws to it.

A protracted sequence involving a three-toed sloth called Flash (Raymond S Persi), who works Department of Mammal Vehicles, is nothing short of genius.

Hop to it - Zootropolis is the bunny's whiskers.

(Zootropolis, certificate PG, is in cinemas now)