Disney’s latest animated film, Zootopia, is fine family entertainment but what makes it stand out in this election year is its uplifting presentation of an inclusive society where you can follow your dreams free of stereotypes and bias.
Zootopia may not offer as much adult humor as some other Disney offerings of years gone by, like Inside Out, Big Hero 6 and Aladdin (although I’m probably mostly remembering Robin Williams’ genie), but its heart is in the right place. Ginnifer Goodwin is lovable as the can’t-keep-a-good-bunny-down Judy Hopps, who refuses to give up her dream of being the first rabbit police officer. Jason Bateman — wait, can we talk a second about the awesome career of Bateman? Loved him from his first appearances as the wise-alecky friend on Silver Spoons, to his own short-lived sitcom It’s Your Move, through that long period where he seemed to have disappeared, to his reemergence in recent years as not only the everyman comedic lead, but also one with surprising depth (see: Bad Words, which he also directed) and perhaps even menace when the part calls for it (see also: The Gift). I heart you, Jason! But I digress…
As the fox Nick Wilde in Zootopia, Jason Bateman is the just-right combination of sly conman and reluctant hero, with a heart of gold hiding under some painful childhood memories. Together, Nick and Judy team up to solve a missing persons (um, make that otter) case in the land of Zootopia: an all-animal society where beasts of every breed live together in supposed harmony. Whether you’re predator or prey, in Zootopia you’re not restricted by biology. Small bunnies can be cops, and foxes don’t have to give in to their natural predisposition to eat bunnies. In the United States (er, I mean, Zootopia), you can be whatever you want when you grow up.
Except something is amiss in Zootopia land – animals of the predator class are mysteriously vanishing and turning “savage,” regressing to their predatory roots. Judy and Nick are on the case, along the way running into the sloths who run the Department of Motor Vehicles (if you’ve not seen this hysterical trailer, go watch it right now), a hilarious Godfather-esque family of moles, and a nod to Breaking Bad (ok, so maybe this movie does have some good adult humor for parents to enjoy).
What you’ll remember most, though, about this film is its overall message – that society is at its best when we accept one another, for all our differences and without prejudice. That we need to overcome stereotypes and see beyond the color of skin (or in this case, the sharpness of claws and fangs). That you should not be defined by your nationality or race or religion, but instead, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, by the content of your character. That just because you’re a bunny, you don’t have to be relegated to life as a carrot farmer – you can be whatever you dream.
As U2 frontman Bono once said, “America is not just a country but an idea, a great idea about opportunity for all and responsibility to your fellow man.” Has the United States achieved to perfection the idea of a utopian melting pot society, where immigrants can escape the confines of class and caste to make a better life? No, far from it; we have a history marred by slavery, income inequality is on the rise, and the ability to climb the economic ladder is still far too elusive for far too many Americans.
But in this election cycle, amid calls to “build a wall” and ban Muslims; to torture our enemies; to break up families with deportation; and to incite violence against protestors because, hey, that’s how things worked in the “good old days”; right now, in 2016, Zootopia is a wonderful reminder that the seeds for our own utopia – peace, love, understanding and acceptance- are within our grasp, if we don’t give in to hate and fear-mongering. America’s greatness lies not in its past, but in our steadfast belief and will to make our ideas reality. To quote from (and slightly paraphrase) U2 again, we’ve got to “dream up the world we want to live in; we’ve got to dream out loud.”
plainspokencriticblog 