Zootopia: a film that’s surprisingly human and grabs you by the tail
By Eric Yuju Lee

I’ve been meaning to check out this movie for some time now. Heralded as the next Disney/Pixar blockbuster, toppling over behemoths such as Frozen and Big Hero 6, boasting a baffling $70 million dollar opening week and a 99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Zootopia certainly backs the number up with its dynamic character and world-building, its witty writing in dialogue and humor, and its heart-warming fuzziness (Yax’s fly-infested mane is particularly fuzzy.) However, as I talked about Zootopia with friends and family, and examined it through numerous other people’s points of view, I came to realize that Disney/Pixar concocted the film through a fantastically unconventional approach: it is relevant, socially conscious, and progressive.

Zootopia tells a tale of Judy Hopps, a brave, strong-willed, and compassionate rabbit who vows to become the first rabbit police officer and make the world a better place, disregarding the fears from her timid carrot-tending parents. After passing the police academy with flying colors, Judy sets off for the animal’s cosmopolitan hub: Zootopia. The day after arriving there, Judy excitedly reports to the ZPD (Zootopia police department) for her first day on the force, but much to her chagrin, she is delegated to the parking duty job by her doubtful Chief Bogo because she is a “bunny cop.” Frustrated, but nevertheless driven, Judy excels at her job as a “ticket maid”, that is until she has a little run-in with Nick Wilde, a crafty red fox, who hustles her into buying him a giant popsicle to turn into profit. After besting the persistent Judy at every turn, the patronizing con artist breaks to her the harsh reality of the world: that naïve idealism has no place in Zootopia, and it’s best for Judy to act like the bunny everyone expects her to be. Defeated, Judy returns to her monotonous (and villainized) ticketing task, that is until she seized the opportunity to pursue and apprehend a thief, Duke Weaselton. Instead of being appreciated, she is reprimanded by Bogo for abandoning her shift and for insubordination, and is nearly fired, but her volunteering to solve a case of Mrs. Otterton’s missing husband earns her 48 hours to prove Bogo wrong, though costing her resignation if she fails. A case without a witness, she spots Nick in the last known photo of Otterton, and tracks him down. An expected witty exchange soon followed, and Judy, returning the favor, catches Nick’s confession to tax evasion on record. Now a victim of blackmail, Nick reluctantly agrees to help her investigate the missing otter case.

If Zootopia were a treat, it would be a delicious cake. It’s sweet, it’s got layers, it can be enjoyed by children and grownups alike, and you won’t be satisfied with just one slice.

Well, maybe that’s up for debate, but cake haters, hear me out.

Zootopia’s characters are lovable, partially because they are Pixar-esque fluffy, big-eyed anthropomorphic animals, but mostly because they are relatable. They are not perfect or linear characters, but complex ones. Judy Hopps appears to be the giddy, positive bunny who sees everyone as equal despite what society thinks, but her innate fear for foxes, a shadow casted by her childhood bully Gideon Gray, prompts her to swallow her optimism and carry the fox-repellent that her parents has prepared for her. Nick Wilde, while cunning and confident on the surface, hides a dark past. After failing to fit in with other preys and is ultimately humiliated by them, he decides that it’s best to play into other animal’s assumptions and becomes the guileful fox that everyone despises and expects him to be. The main villain of the film, Zootopia’s sweet sheep assistant mayor Dawn Bellwether is a victim of constant harassment from her boss, and as her stress finally reaches a breaking point, she formulates the whole fiasco of predators turning feral, and assumes the position of the new mayor and enacts anti-predator protocols. Characters in the film make morally questionable decisions, no streamlined goody-goody protagonists or chaotically evil villains here, and all of their decisions can be traced through their narratives, history, past and present quarrels; they feel justified, informed. And that’s what makes them human. That’s what makes this film so bittersweet and satisfying.

Zootopia is also a cleverly layered narrative. Embedded within the exciting action and humor are numerous criticisms about modern society. Mentioned in passing or through visual elements, Pixar hides quite a heavy load of progressive social commentary. Let’s start with the most conspicuous one: the bunny cop. Judy is a victim of patriarchy in the police force, a social construct that dictates the power structure within many workplaces out in the world. Judy is belittled as the token bunny because of her appearance, despite her proven potential. A same pain is felt by assistant mayor Dawn Bellwether, who suffers a similar fate from her boss Leodore Lionheart, who assigns her endless tasks and houses her office in a boiler room, generally being an unreasonable jerk to her. Another issue touched on is bullying. It is the malicious force that developed Nick’s initial character and source of conflict that briefly ruptures the friendship between Judy and Nick. And perhaps the most apparent one is negative stereotyping. The dynamics of interaction within Zootopia is surprisingly racial, where species are predisposed to think an animal’s behavior and tendencies simply by being that animal (not too different from our world, huh.) Nick, being a fox, is refused service at an elephant ice cream shop, even Judy (though accidentally) broadcasts an insensitive comment about predator’s behavior as part of their “biology.” The film, through its colorful backdrop, speaks volumes on gender discrimination, bullying, and racial stereotyping and discrimination. It is a film that’s layered with meaning worth exploring.

Perhaps it’s a call to action? A report on society at large? Am I just overanalyzing a children’s film? Who knows. Perhaps the movie isn’t just for children after all. The film does end in a positive note though. Bellwether was brought to justice, Nick becomes Judy’s partner in the force, and everyone goes to see a gazelle Shakira concert. In the end, Zootopia is an excellent family film where there are ample moments of fun and heartwarming scenes for all audiences to enjoy; crude humor for kids to laugh at, and prickly reminders on social issues for parents to take home to. Zootopia is easily the movie of 2016, you “hare”d it from me! (Eric Yuju Lee, 李毓儒,Sophomore at UCSD, son of賴惠玫。)