Zootopia is about small-town bunny Judy Hopps whose only desire in life is to make it in the big city as a police officer. In the world of Zootopia, bunnies aren't supposed to be police officers. That's a job for the predators and the larger herbivores. Judy doesn't let those stereotypes set her back. Not only does she become a cop, but she gets to prove herself by being assigned a big case that she has forty-eight hours to solve.
Animated movies aren't just about fun and games anymore. More often than not, they are appealing to the minds of the adults that have to sit through the movie with their kids. There is something about a message shining through species that aren't human that make the message even more potent in some ways. It allows the viewer to take a step back and see the points for what they are without taking offense.
Zootopia is no exception. Among the many things to enjoy about this movie, the message itself stands apart as the most remarkable. During a time where racism is very much alive and well, this movie preaches the power of believing in yourself and overcoming the stigma of negativity. No kidding, you could literally hold a seminar on all the different messages captured in Zootopia. It left me thinking about it for days, hence the late review.
The "many things to enjoy" I referred to earlier are quite pleasing as well. Disney does an extremely good job of paying attention to detail and their talents are in full effect in Zootopia. As I watched, I thought, "Man, they really have thought of everything." Among all the details, I particularly loved Little Rodentia, a district made specifically for the smaller creatures of the city. During a fun chase scene, Judy looks like Godzilla as she is racing through the district trying to catch a bad guy.
The characters were done particularly well also. I was a huge fan of Judy's as I followed her through the highs and lows of her struggle to become a police officer then keep that job. Yes, Jason Bateman did a great job as well playing clever fox Nick Wilde. For me, Ginnifer Goodwin stole the show as Judy and gave the movie its heartbeat. The clever mix of characters will keep you laughing but also hit you with touching moments at times.
One gripe: In the beginning of the film, we are conditioned to think that the prejudice issue is against one species in particular. Then something else happens that I won't give away and another group is suddenly stereotyped. This threw me off my game a bit as it had me wondering who is against who? But I guess that the ugliness of racism, right? One race gets hated then hates on another race. It's an ugly cycle where no one is innocent. There is a saying: Hurt people hurt people. Going a step further: We act and think the way we do because of how we were taught. How can you expect to ever think differently when you were raised to hate bunnies?
These are the types of conversations created that make this movie phenomenal. I give Zootopia a hefty 98.
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