The latest film from Disney Animation bucks two traditional Disney elements: it’s not sad and the parents live. However, one issue for little kids still exists: some perilous moments.
Zootopia is a community of anthromorphic animals – humans don’t exist, but the animals live in a human-style world. The arrival is an evolution, animals have matured out of their classic predator-prey mode and now co-exist.
The story follows Judy Hopps, a bunny who dreams of being a police officer, even though that’s not considered a role for small, delicate creatures. She breaks the glass ceiling, but still has to deal with the low expectations of her superior officer. To prove herself, she inserts herself into cases she has not been assigned. In doing so, she encounters fox Nick Wilde, who thrives by living up to the sneaky scoundrel stereotype of his species. Rookie Officer Hopps realizes she needs this clever fox to help her solve a difficult case and the result is one of the more interesting relationships in animated film.
Most family films message teamwork, and Zootopia is no different. However, Zootopia also dives into other areas: defying labels (expected) and, equally, not attributing stereotypical labels (surprising). Certainly, I don’t want to give anything away, but the film deftly displays the ways in which almost anyone can unintentionally perpetuate a stereotype. The execution is brilliant, presenting it in a way that is applicable to our world in broad strokes related to political issues as well as small slights across social media.
But, the movie is a bit scary for some little kids. Disney Animation has worked hard in its marketing to not reveal any of the plot points of the film, and in honoring that, let me just say that our heroes are pursued in a frightening way that’s very similar to the bear attack in Brave. Kindergartners and younger seem to be most affected – and sure enough, “scary” is the first word both of the 5-year-old boys I brought used to describe Zootopia. My son isn’t sensitive to these types of frights and talked the whole way home and the next day about the film, quoting funny lines and recalling memorable moments. His friend, though, stuck with “scary” and never budged from that description.
Additionally, two scenes of bullying are depicted in a more menacing tone than usually seen in animated films directed at young children. In one scene, the victim is physically harmed; in the other, the cruelty weighs heavily on the viewer. Both scenes serve a useful purpose to the story, but I don’t know that kids will take away anything useful from the interaction.
Beyond the scary moments: some of the story elements could get lost on the littler ones. I noticed some younger kids were restless, talking, running down the aisles and distracted in some scenes. When Judy and Nick are talking about their feelings, my 5-year-old put his hands over his eyes and said, “I wish this part would be done.” Overall, Zootopia is a fun mystery most kids first grade and up seemed to handle well and really enjoy. And it's fun for parents, too!
More parent reviews from the Fandango Family Digital Network:
Gay NYC Dad: Zootopia: The Must-See Movie of the Season
Mom's Favorite Stuff: Get the Bottom Line on Zootopia
Mommy Snippets: The Lowdown on Zootopia (Plus: Spoiler Alert!)
Macaroni Kid Manhattan East Side: Here's Our Take on Zootopia
Dude of the House: Why I Want to Move to Zootopia
I am the Maven: Spoiler Free Zootopia Review
Dandelion Moms: Zootopia is in Theaters Now!
