"Zootopia" (2016)

Considering how long these animated films are in production it is pretty amazing how timely “Zootopia” is. Or, considering how prevalent problems like racism and protectionism are, it may be better to ask why it took so long for Disney to address them. They aren’t often the topic of children’s stories, but maybe they need to be.

Some have pointed out as a flaw the way that the film manages to stereotype the animals while trying to fight stereotypes. For one thing, now metaphor is perfect, and using a variety of species to represent racial, cultural, and religious is not a perfect analogy. But then, different races, cultures, and religions are… different. Being accepting is not about denying differences and achieving some sort of uniformity. In fact, that is closer to actual racism. Not being judgmental or afraid of differences is the goal.

“Zootopia” adds to its ambitious message great animation, a fun plot, and amazing art direction. This makes it recommendable to all ages, even the adults. And that is a good thing because adults need to be reminded of the truth of the films message. “Fear always works.” If you let it that is.

Don’t be a dumb bunny.