Zootopia

It's time for another movie review. That sounds as if their is some regularity to the movie reviews I conduct, but since my last review occurred well over 6 years ago, make no mistake, its not a regular thing. You're in for a special treat, a treat rarer than Christmas or a leap year.

Again, its another animation movie surprising a casual watcher. Much like Aesop's Fables, though you wouldn't guess it at first, Zootopia follows the ambitions of a young rabbit and her yearning to become the first rabbit police officer in the metropolitan of Zootopia. This movie is set in a world where predator and prey have learned to live together peacefully, yet they don't fully trust each other. There is a deep seated distrust and an instinctual divide between the two groups which is a key theme in the movie.

I won't recount and divulge the whole plot; its a movie worth watching with your kids. I will share some of the themes I saw as I watched this movie. The movie's core theme is about learning to trust those who are different from you. Countering that, we see those who would entice racial strife for personal gain. In a country where racial strife fills the evening news 50 states wide, the ideas and principles explored in this movie are quite timely.

As you watch this movie, hopefully you can see the deeper meaning. In doing this, there is one thing to avoid comparing to real life. A pop singer in this animal universe named Gazelle, voiced by Shakira, is an advocate for seeking understanding to the issues at hand rather than emotionally charged reactions. If Gazelle is supposed to be representative of hollywood and their wisdom, the movie missed the mark. Overall though, I really enjoyed the movie and its message.