Zootopia

Let’s keep it fresh and spoil free for the sake of those who haven’t seen it yet.

Zootopia.. was.. awesome.. A great blend of fun for the kids and humor for the adults. Judy is a bunny from the country. It’s been her dream to grow up and be a police officer. Nick Wilde is a sly and shifty fox who knows the streets and how to hustle. I have nothing but love for this movie. In fact, I plan on seeing it again, because I’m sure there’s more little easter eggs and bits that I missed the first time. Go see it, and bring the kids!

Do you know what I noticed right off the bat, when sitting down to write this review? The “Overview” summary is completely false.

SPOILERS!! AHEAD!!

In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who’s trying to make it big make a fast buck, goes on the run begrudgingly gets involved when he’s framed for caught red-handed during a crime he didn’t commit street hustle by Zootopia’s top newest, and first ever, bunny cop. A self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but When both become targets of uncover a conspiracy, they’re forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.

There, that’s better.

The story is very topical for today’s fear mongering… In fact, if it were produced a little later, it would not have surprised me to see a Donald Trump reference. Over all, the story is one of tolerance and friendship. When the predator species’s begin to “go savage” (or revert to their primal hunting), the population of Zootopia (who are 90% “prey”) call for the streets to be made safe. This, of course, mirrors the modern fear mongering against Muslims. or, at least, that’s how I saw it. In the end, we see that it’s a conspiracy lead by the Sheep, who are using a special flower toxin to make the predators go into uncontrollable hunting rages. Naughty Naughty Sheep!

In defense of Mayor Lionheart (voiced by J.K. Simmons) – he was actually trying to do the right thing, but in the wrong way. All of the infected predators where gathered up into a laboratory as scientists tried to cure them.. this was done in secret so there wouldn’t be a predator-panic. But, of course, that ended up backfiring on him, after Judy and Nick find the lab and alert the cops, and the press..

But, if you look beyond the story.. there is some funny stuff going on.

• Yax, the (very stoned and louse-covered) owner of a Naturalist Commune.. is voiced by Tommy Chong. 
• All of the cross-walks in the “Rodentia” section of town.. are Hamster tubes.
• Honestly, I thought for sure that Judy’s father was voiced by Tim Conway, Don Lake sounded just like him
• In the night howler lab scene, the rams who deliver the coffee are named Woolter and Jesse, referencing the characters from Breaking Bad (2008).
• The crosswalks, also known a zebra crossings in the UK, actually do have a pattern that matches a zebra’s striped coat.
• The actor who plays Peter Moosebridge is a real news anchor for the CBC in Canada named Peter Mansbridge.