With so many animated films coming out in the last few years, it’s hard to know which ones are worth the price of a movie ticket. There have been a few animated movies in recent years that have attracted an adult fan base; the most notable of which would be Frozen. Frozen fever was (and is) real, and not just for elementary school kids. "Zootopia," however, has knocked Queen Elsa off of her icy throne when it grossed more in ticket sales on its opening weekend than Frozen. There’s good reason for this, too—it has great messages that are important for children and adults alike. Through the use of anthropomorphic characters, "Zootopia" delicately deals with the timely theme of prejudice in a society that has “evolved” past stereotyping people based on their outward appearance.
The city of Zootopia received its name because of its reputation as a utopia where all mammals, regardless of species, can live together in harmony. In the past, animals were divided between “predators” and “prey.” The prey viewed predators as dangerous, while the predators regarded the prey as weak and helpless. This led to a big division in their society.
This “children’s movie” exposes the hidden prejudices of the citizens of Zootopia who have supposedly “evolved” past the arcane practice of stereotyping other animals based on their “nature.” This sounds pretty similar to some of our cultural issues today. “I’m not racist!” we say, yet the vestiges of prejudice still linger in our society. When Judy Hopps, a bunny from a small town, tries to fulfill her dreams of becoming a police officer in the big city of Utopia, no one takes her seriously because of her small size. “No bunny could ever be a police officer,” they tell her. But when she makes it, it seems there are no prejudices after all! Until her own hidden prejudices are confirmed when she instinctively feels threatened by a predator—Nick Wilde, a fox. I won’t give away too much about the plot or the ending, but this movie is very unpredictable and a twist at the end puts a whole new spin on the real reason that some societies can’t seem to move past negative prejudices.
"Zootopia" is a great family-friendly film that has incredible animation, hilarious jokes, and crazy attention to detail that makes watching the movie a blast. But scratch a little deeper, and there’s a message that could not come at a better time for American society. We could all learn a few things from the animals of Zootopia—including how to live with people who are different from us and loving them for who they are on the inside and not stereotyping them based on their appearance.
