Zootopia Would Never Put Up a "Yuge" Wall

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2016)

Disney's most recent Animated Classic Zootopia is already a giant hit, critically and financially. Its mixture of broad humor, undeniable spirit, and timely / timeless themes of inclusivity and acceptance make it easy to see why. Is Zootopia's message a bit on-the-nose? Oh, yeah. (What's the exaggerated version of that term? IN –the nose? FROM-the-nose? The-nose-itself?). At times that insistence to wear its thoughts on its sleeve can be distracting. However, this is morally-upstanding entertainment made for children, and if we remember that, it becomes not only enjoyable but even admirable. Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is at the center of this fish-out-of-water (better yet, bunny-out-of-town) tale, as Zootopia's (a species-melding-pot metropolis) first rabbit police officer on her first case, helped by conniving-insider fox Nick. What follows is a mystery tale that, while juvenile, is full of fun references and absolutely amazing world-building. At times, it may test your limits on animal-based wordplay, but its ubiquitous cuteness (a term coined "offensive to the bunny community") and strongly expressive animation make it difficult to dislike. Along the journey, we encounter numerous classes of animals, each representing both the silly stereotypes of their "animal-race", while smartly standing in for human biases and prejudices. What's truly noble about that blunt messaging is it doesn't deny the disparities between us or claim that "color-blindness" is the path to a less-bigoted world. It's more an indictment of fear as a means of power, something we know all too well, encouraging us to recognize our differences and use them as a support instead of a weight. On-the-nose or not, that is a message worth implanting in every American, both child and adult.