At first, Disney’s latest addition to its animated classics, Zootopia, seems like the stereotypical anthropomorphic, talking-animal schtick designed purely to fill seats at the movie theater. As a proud Disney enthusiast, I jumped at the opportunity to see their latest flick, drawn in by the clever animation and the Shakira-fueled background music, but in the first few minutes, I slowly realized that I was getting a bit more than what I bargained for. Zootopia was about more than cute animated animals acting like humans: in reality it was Disney’s attempt to explain themes like racism, sexism, and, yes, even the war on drugs.

The movie centers on a young, naïve rabbit from the country named Judy Hopps who dreams of being a police officer in the bustling city of Zootopia. The only problem is that there has never been a bunny on the police force. Because the animals in this kingdom have evolved, animals who are predators and prey are now able to get along and live in harmony, but that doesn’t mean that there still isn’t inequity. Animals that are larger and considered to be “predators” like lions, bears, and elephants get the better jobs despite the fact that they actually are in the minority whereas smaller animals and those considered to be “prey” are often discriminated against.

Despite the fact that she is discouraged from becoming a police officer, Judy Hopps still manages to make it through the academy and graduates at the top of her class, party thanks to the Mammal Inclusion act, which really seems to be some sort of affirmative action for the smaller animals. Upon arriving at her assigned precinct, she learns that despite the fact she earned her spot on the force, it was all for show and she becomes nothing more than a glorified meter maid.

When animals start vanishing and predators start to go crazy and attack prey, Judy Hopps is given the opportunity to take a missing person’s case and befriends a fox named Nick Wilde who agrees to help her. The pair discovers that a drug is being injected into the predator community in an attempt to get the prey to be prejudiced against the predators in order to socially overpower them and becoming the dominating social class.

The way the different animals interact with each other is fascinating and speaks volumes about human interaction in society. For example, Mayor Lionheart, an overbearing, predatory lion, is constantly interrupting, ignoring, and ordering around Assistant Mayor Bellweather, who is a diminutive sheep to the point that she admits to feeling more like a glorified secretary than a community leader. The film also hints that the only reason she was Mayor Lionheart’s running mate was to get the “prey” vote as well as a way to placate the masses. This is indicative of the way society treats not only women in power but also minorities. Zootopia also does an excellent job of explaining harmful stereotypes. For example, in popular culture, foxes usually possess the traits of being sly and conniving, and to an extent, Nick Wilde exhibits those traits, especially when Judy first discovers his Popsicle con. However, these attributes also make him a target, causing the Zootopia Police Department to be prejudiced against Nick, drawing parallels between urban police brutality.

At a base level, Zootopia is a fun movie about two cute, crime-fighting critters that manage to save their city from a plant that makes animals sick. Upon closer inspection, the movie is actually Disney’s way of attempting to show children, and even their parents, the dangers of stereotypes and discrimination. Although it’s not a perfect movie and it features a few plot holes, Zootopia is uniquely powerful in its message.