ZOOTOPIA/ ZOOTROPOLIS

SYNOPSIS:

The film made by Disney shows such progression in the content and morals that the inject audiences with. Zootopia’s main moral is that prey should not fear predator because they are different and through sharp-witted commentary the audience was exposed to the parallel storyline of modern race relations. Although, there is many funny scenes such as the sloths working in the DMV which can relate to many across America. The film follows the storyline of Judy Hopps who is a rabbit trying to make it into a predator environment in that being the police force of Zootopia. The rabbit cop is trying to solve the mystery behind a string of strange disappearances which leads her to a press conference where she is seen to revolt back to the ideologies of her parents on predators, despite her getting to know the fox and understanding he is not out to get her.

EVALUATION:

Firstly, Zootopia opens with a young Judy Hopps in an elementary school performance the history between predator and prey. Judy explains, the jungle was a place defined by “fear, treachery, and bloodlust” where prey animals lived in a constant state of primal fear of predators who hunted them. Within Zootopia the animals are not to fear each other but live in harmony, conforming to the hegemony's views on society. However, it is shown in the film that there is still problems in social and biological levels as some have better chances than others. This producing a complicated conversation about the ways that politics, prejudice and class shape the how people relate to one another.

Though Judy comes from a large family of country carrot farmers, she moves to the city to become a police officer, a profession traditionally dominated by larger predator animals and males mostly. While her family has to accept that she wants to be a cop, they make a good point of warning her about the dangers of the big city specifically biological differences that that foxes and other predators have towards violence. While it’d be easy for Zootopia to lean on the predator vs. prey binary opposites as the narrator suggests, the film actually highlights the complicated the relationships between nearly all of its animals, representing humans within society. For example, in the same breath that Judy’s father warns her about killer wolves, he makes an off-handed comment about a weasel friend who cheats at cribbage.

Additionally, when Zootopia’s full plot kicks in, it’s clear that the film makers are not just speaking to the movie’s target audience of kids. In the process of investigating the disappearance of predators across the city, Judy and Nick stumble across a series of attacks involving predators suddenly going ‘savage’–reverting to their animal instincts and viciously attacking other people. Judy’s role in the investigation legitimises her as a cop but she then becomes a mouth piece to the cops by stating, ‘It may have something to do with biology,’ Jody responds to a reporter during a press conference about why some predators are suddenly turning savage. ‘A biological component, you know, something in their DNA. years ago, um, predators survived through their aggressive hunting instincts. For whatever reason, they seem to be reverting back to their primitive, savage ways.’ The world of Zootopia is sent into a state of fear and it shots through with elements of many of the real-world police-run press conferences that have following dozens of high-profile shooting of black people in recent years. Though Judy admits that the ZPD doesn't know the specific details of the case, reporters focus on the few problematic statements she feeds them while taking in visuals of rabid, muzzled animals that the police have detained.

Furthermore, linking to the political state of America at the moment with the democratic leader Hillary Clinton speaking of her ideology in the 90s of a “super predator’. She believed that black crime in the 90s leaded children to become ‘super-predators. No conscience, no empathy.’ This reflecting the news reports after Judy Hopps does the interview as many prey (White Americans) share the view of the ‘super predator’ and both events resulted in media frenzy as the hegemony went into shock. Despite Judy knowing it is morally wrong to assume that all predators are biologically destined to be dangerous, but as a police officer narrative that is best for her to present to the hegemony. Zootopia, assistant mayor Dawn Bellwether explains, is 90% prey and the people just want to be safe from danger. Therefore, showing that corrupt political figures that many agree with can gain power when moral panic takes place to which the media has controlled.

Moreover, interestingly the voice of the Chief Bogo being Idris Elba shows that Disney as an institution is not afraid of progressing and helping to remove the racial stereotypes that stand in the way of some. More significantly as Idris Elba stood against the Oscars and argued that more black actors should be nominated, which shows that Disney did an honest job in covering social issues that hold importance to audiences.