Zootopia

I raised an eyebrow when critics were declaring that with “Zootopia,” Disney had made a triumph of a film tackling racial biases. This is a movie about talking animals after all. But whereas “racial” may not be the right word, it addresses very clearly what it is to be prejudiced, to assume the worst about a person based on their upbringing, their skin or their biology.

And it’s not just a running theme but a core tenet of the plot. Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a bunny rabbit from the country who dreams of becoming a police officer in the metropolis of Zootopia, despite the knowledge that no bunny has ever matched up with the lions, tigers and bears of the world fit for law enforcement. You could even say she’s very much a girl trying to force her way into a boys’ club that doesn’t believe she has the stuff. She’s diminished as figuratively and literally small time and again, and directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore aren’t shy to remind you of Judy’s failures and struggles in pursuit of her dreams. She’s so exuberantly positive and yet even the Zootopia radio is against her.

The moral of needing to remain optimistic in order to achieve your goals would’ve been enough of a life lesson for any other Disney film, but the prejudice subplot of predators going “savage” serves as an added carrot. When Judy meets up with Nick (Jason Bateman), a sly con-artist of a fox, “Zootopia” plays on children’s built-in knowledge of predators and prey, foxes and rabbits, and anything else within the animal kingdom, and then challenges those assertions.

The dedication to animal-themed puns and even climate-controlled habitats within this zoological society are the key to showing that all the rules and prejudices within the world behave as would be expected. Otters are slippery, sloths are cripplingly slow (and ideal DMV employees) and rabbits constantly multiply. Even size is a factor, in which it’s hard not to wonder how a tiny bunny can box a rhino, or how even a bunny can appear massive and wreak havoc in a world reserved for rodents. The world is so detailed, and the assumptions about how all the animals behave are so easy to make, but then it demonstrates why those prejudices can be so wrong and so hurtful, like when Judy’s assumption about predators estranges her friendship from Nick.

And yet “Zootopia” would fall flat if it weren’t for the strength of its world building. The film’s plot may be stellar, but it isn’t that groundbreaking compared to other recent Disney films such as “Wreck-It Ralph,” where everything is video games, or “Big Hero 6,” where everything is hacking and superheroes. The same could be said about Pixar’s latest few, be they cars, fish or feelings. All these films live or die based on their concept, and you have to give credit where it’s due that the puns serve the broader focus of the story and not just the wallpaper.

Two completely different projects come to mind when thinking about “Zootopia.” The first is Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman,” certainly not a kids show, but a cartoon which also thrives on its rapid fire dialogue and ludicrous animal puns. They both have important messages to share, but the references ground everything into something entertaining and not overly serious. The second film is Disney’s notorious “Song of the South,” which operates through similar animal fables and preconceived notions about bunnies, foxes and bears. But “Zootopia” is a rebuke to that mentality of predator versus prey and good versus evil. It teaches to be more trusting of others no matter what others look like, and above all, that change in your society starts with you.

4 stars

Some stray notes:

• I love the film’s caper vibe, the slick “Ocean’s Eleven” packaging around the dialogue and the conspiracy plot. It’s another genre-bending trick that helps elevate “Zootopia” away from the madcap action of most kids movies.
• Just about every kids movie builds in some pop culture references for the parents, and while I can’t quite justify the inclusion of “The Godfather” and “Breaking Bad” here, these are fantastic gags.
• The film’s pacing is so lickety-split, the sloth DMV scene is an absolute show stopper in how it commits to a bit.
• When Gazelle (Shakira) performs her final song during the film’s closing credits, the directors and animators really missed an opportunity to have a dancing Left Shark, no?