Just took my 9 year old to see Disney’s new movie Zootopia. And we saw it in 3D, which is the best way to see it. Such an incredibly beautiful movie, both visually and in deep meaning. I have heard so many raving reviews of it, but I still wasn’t really looking forward to it. (I prefer to watch movies in the comfort of my home.) I even tried to get my husband and son to go without me. I’m so glad they made me go! This movie was one of the best uses of $20 in my life. Heck, I probably would have been satisfied if I had spent $100 on it! No joke.
POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT: I’ll try not to throw out too many spoilers here, but you may want to stop now and just go watch it before reading on. Really…go now! Ok…you’ve been warned! 😉
And no, I’m not getting any kind of reward for posting this, other than the pleasure of having you read it and maybe a little SEO boost or something. Disney isn’t paying me, I’m not getting any kick-backs and your local theater won’t send me any money when they give them your admission fee. 🙂 I wish they would!
So this movie is about a cute little bunny (who gets deeply offended when non-bunnies call her cute, by the way). When she is just a baby bunny she gets the dream to become a police officer. Others laugh at her, tell her that bunnies can’t be cops, etc. Even her parents try to bring her back to reality. There’s NEVER been a rabbit police officer, after all! Her response? “Well, I’ll just have to be the first then!”
(That’s the really great message from this movie…always pursue your dreams, refuse to give up, and don’t let anyone else convince you that you can’t achieve what you set your mind to. Even if nobody else “in your category” has ever done it. You be the first!)
Fast forward several years, and Judy (the bunny) has just reached her dream and has indeed become the first bunny cop ever. In a police force full of lions, tigers, bears and even elephants, she does indeed seem to be way out of her league. The chief of police, who did not want her on the force, makes her the meter maid. And that makes her mad, but she simply decides to be the best darn meter maid ever! She easily reaches her goal by noon, and then sets out to prove her value as an officer of the law in other…unapproved…ways.
She has a run in with a funny, cool but sly fox who is very good at running a hustle. (Honestly, my impression was that Nick, the fox, was a clever entrepreneur, except for his rather unethical, barely-legal methods.) The two become reluctant friends and partners in crime-fighting as they pursue a mystery of over a dozen citizens missing without a trace. These citizens just happen to be predatory type animals, such as bears, otters and tigers.
As they crack the case, they deal with issues that are present in this utopian human-like animal kingdom. Issues that are not unlike issues in our own human world. Issues that we humans would probably call racism, or sometimes classism. Issues that are hidden, or so socially acceptable that nobody questions them: Bunnies can’t amount to more than carrot farmers. Foxes can’t be trusted and are always trying to hustle you. Lions, tigers and bears just might turn on you because, after all, they have predatory DNA despite looking civilized. Sound familiar at all?
Some of the non-predatory animals have decided to prove to the world that those predators cannot be trusted. With a 9-1 ratio, the non-predators can rule the world, they say, if they can only convince all the other non-predators to be scared of the predators…and convincing them takes nothing more than a few carefully staged acts of violence and good media coverage. Hmm…
Its so deep it makes me cry.
Ok…I started to share how it ends…but then I deleted it. You are better off just going to see it yourself. And see it in 3D if you can. Don’t have children to take? Ah heck…go anyway! It’s truly that good!
Already seen it? Tell me your thoughts!!
And remember…don’t ever let anyone decide your fate for you, don’t allow them to tell you that you can’t do what you dream of doing, and never let any excuses keep you from succeeding in your life. You are who you choose to be. If you don’t pursue your dreams…its because you chose not to.