Review: ’Zootopia’ is a political, detective movie everyone should see

Image from Walt Disney Animation

Don’t be fooled by the funny cartoon animals in Zootopia, a Disney Animation movie that is more than it seems. Similar to how its brother Pixar made people understand emotions in Inside Out, Disney Animation’s Zootopia tackles prejudices, discrimination and racism head on.

What is much more interesting is how it pushes this political message. Zootopia is a detective story centering on a missing persons case. It can also be considered a buddy cop movie, here involving Judy Hopps, ZPD’s first bunny cop trying to win his colleagues’ trust; and Nick Wilde, a con fox who has accepted society’s perception of his kind as sly. 

But while they may be the stars we are rooting for in the story, they are as flawed as the culprits behind the crimes. It presents the double standards we can be guilty of towards friends and of people who are different from us. It also shows how one can become a cynic because of what society thinks about a group he belongs to.

The new generation is lucky to watch an animated feature that has depth and promotes inclusivity. This shows how family films can grow up. If the studio can come up with more films like Zootopia that carries this relevant message, the future society can be filled with individuals who accept or tolerate, and respect people’s differences.

Adults can likewise enjoy the movie's humor. There is a lot of pop culture references and even previous animated films by both Disney Animation and Disney Pixar. The sloth scenes are hilarious.

I have watched the movie twice and I noticed there is a setting where background characters seemed not to be moving. To be fair, it was an office run by sloths.

All in all, it gets a spot in my list of socially important animated features. Zootopia is worth watching and worth discussing about.

Rating: 9/10