Far more than just a cartoon

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2016)

While Zootopia was a very entertaining and pleasant surprise, it is far more than just an animated police procedural.
I don't know how the Disney people did it, but Zootopia is a brilliant political allegory (and sadly I don't think I was able to satisfactorily define the term for my 7 year old grandson who just loved the sloths in the film). Somehow they anticipated today's politics with the government initiated outcasting of predator animals, losing their government jobs, being shifted to positions where they'd have no contact with the public. Somehow they anticipated a "new" politician ready, willing, and able to do to some animals pretty much what that monster Mr. Trump wishes to do to all Muslims. Somehow they anticipated the rampant stereotyping in which Mr. Trump engages.
The political allegory enables this film to transcend its genre and make it a pretty important film given the sorry state of American politics today -- a state made all the more sorry by the GOP's race baiting, stereotyping, and general hatred of anybody who disagrees with it.