Today’s Prayer Focus
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Oscar®Oscar® Nominee for Best Animated Feature Film

MOVIE REVIEW

Zootopia

also known as “Zootopia 3D,” “Zootropolis,” “Zootrópolis,” “Zoomania,” “Zootopia: Essa Cidade é o Bicho,” See more »
MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA) for some thematic elements, rude humor and action.

Reviewed by: Blake Wilson
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Kids Family Adults
Genre: Animation Action Adventure Kids Family Comedy 3D
Length: 1 hr. 48 min.
Year of Release: 2016
USA Release: March 4, 2016 (wide—3,827 theaters)
DVD: June 7, 2016
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Relevant Issues

don’t let fear control us

don’t be a liar and deceiver

work hard to achieve important things in life

perseverance—don’t let your mistakes and failures stop you

importance of police and government in a fallen world

making the world a better place starts with you

animals in the Bible

Kid Explorers™
Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, color pages, and more! One of the Web’s first and most popular Christian Web sites for children. Nonprofit, evangelical, nondenominational.
Featuring Ginnifer Goodwin … Judy Hopps, a rabbit from Bunnyburrow (voice)
Jason BatemanNicholas P. “Nick” Wilde, a red fox con artist (voice)
Idris ElbaChief Bogo, a cape buffalo (voice)
J.K. SimmonsMayor Lionheart, a noble lion and Mayor of Zootopia (voice)
Octavia SpencerMrs. Otterton, a slender North American river otter (voice)
Kristen BellPriscilla, a sloth co-worker of Flash (voice)
Alan TudykDuke Weaselton, a small-time weasel crook (voice)
Jenny Slate … Bellwether, a sweet sheep and deputy mayor (voice)
Nate Torrence … Clawhauser, an obese cheetah (voice)
Bonnie Hunt … Bonnie Hopps, a rabbit from Bunnyburrow and mother of Judy Hopps (voice)
Don Lake … Stu Hopps, a rabbit and father of Judy Hopps (voice)
Tommy Chong … Yax, an enlightened laid-back Yak (voice)
Shakira … Gazelle, a gazelle and famous pop star (voice)
Raymond S. Persi … Flash, the “fastest” three-toed sloth in the DMV (voice)
See all »
Director Byron Howard — “Tangled”
Rich Moore — “Wreck-It Ralph”
Jared Bush
Producer Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
See all »
Distributor

In the world of “Zootopia,” animals live like… well… people. Animals of all breeds, predator and prey alike, live together seemingly in peace and harmony. A bunny named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) has a dream. She wants to be a cop for the Zootopia Police Department. Being a bunny, everyone seems to think that dream is a very crazy one, including Judy’s overly-worried parents.

15 years pass, and Judy is attending the Zootopia Police Academy. After stumbling out of the gate during her training, she works her way up to becoming top of the class, earning her spot on the force, much to the apparent dismay of Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba). On her first day, Bogo gives her just a parking meter job. Despite some disappointment with this, Judy immediately takes this opportunity to try and impress.

While on the job, Judy runs into a fox named Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman). After helping him pay for an ice cream for his “son,” Judy soon puts it together that Nick is a conman, and clearly manipulated her for his benefit. The next day, against Bogo’s wishes, Judy agrees to help a desperate Mrs. Otterton (Octavia Spencer) find her missing husband. Angered, Bogo gives Judy 48 hours to solve it, or she resigns from the force. What to do?

Quality-wise and from a creativity level, “Zootopia” is very impressive. The story is tight and goes along at a solid pace. Zootopia’s many regions, such as Tundra Town, Rainforest District, Little Rodentia, among many others, are well-designed and cool to see. I only wish the movie would have spent a little more time observing the scenery. The voice acting is also very solid, with some strong chemistry between Goodwin and Bateman.

Positive themes

There are some very nice messages to be found in the film, as well. One of the strongest positive messages I observed is that we can’t reach our goals and dreams without hard work. With that in mind, “Zootopia” pokes fun at Disney’s fairy tale formula. Bogo has one of the film’s best lines, when he says, “This isn’t some cartoon musical where everything ends in a sparkly happily ever after.”

And truthfully, we see that Judy has to work hard to get where she is. She is resourceful, intelligent, clever, brave and confident. She makes mistakes, but she doesn’t back down or give up in the face of obstacles. Judy’s journey reminded me of 2 Chronicles, as her hard work and perseverance help her achieve her goals:

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” – 2 Chronicles 15:7

The film also stresses that the world is “broken” and that “life is messy.” I really have admired Disney for presenting flawed, imperfect characters in their films, lately. It makes their films more relatable and real. In the film’s theme song, “Try Everything,” the lyrics proclaim, “I still mess up, but I’ll just start again.” “I want to try, even though I could fail,” and “I’ll keep on making those new mistakes every day.” It’s the kind of inspirational tune that says, like the film itself, that despite our imperfections, despite our issues, we should not let those mistakes bring us down and prevent us from living our lives or pursuing our dreams.

In addition, there are a couple of solid moments that say a good deal about watching our words, especially when it comes to talking about other people. Judy doesn’t thoroughly think about her words during a press interview that ultimately (unintentionally) hurts Nick’s feelings, and also causes the city to go berserk.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. —Proverbs 15:1

There’s an emotional moment later in the film that presents the importance of forgiveness, as well. Police officers are shown in a positive light and trying to make the world a better place is always encouraged.

Finally, Chief Bogo and others in Zootopia learn not to judge others based on their appearance or their limitations. Judy shows that despite her size and appearance, she’s perfectly capable of solving big cases on her own. Throughout the film, I was reminded of this theme, which is represented in 1 Samuel:

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” —1 Samuel 16:7

“Zootopia” also has moments that reference racial and gender prejudice, particularly in the workplace. One character in particular talks a lot about Judy’s big job being “good for the little guys.” While these incidences are certainly timely and intriguing (especially with all the issues regarding those topics on the news today), they make for arguably mature themes for a movie aimed at kids and families.

Negative themes and concerns

There are also mixed-to-negative messages in “Zootopia.” The film touches several times on the ideas of tolerance and bashing stereotypes (Disney does put messages in their films that appeal to both conservatives and liberals). There is a scene that depicts a “peace rally.” While it is specifically about “predators and prey,” this may bring to mind (especially to adults) labor strikes or the Gay rights movement. In this scene, a character states, “Zootopia is a place of diversity and embracing differences.”

THE NEW TOLERANCE—It’s politically correct, but does it hold danger for followers of Christ? Is love the same thing as tolerance? Answer

Also, we hear a handful of times that in “Zootopia,” “Anyone can be anything!” This message felt somewhat forced and heavy-handed, at times. Particularly toward the end, Zootopia’s clever story suffers a little bit from being a little too out in the open with this message.

Language: In an unfortunate first for a Disney animated feature, God’s name is interjected 3 or 4 times in the form of “oh my g*d” and “by g*d.” Someone blurts out, “Sweet cheese and crackers!” Some other modern-day curse word substitutes and elementary schoolyard put-downs. (i.e., “heck,” “cripes,” “butt,” “jerk,” “loser,” “gosh”).

Violence: There are a few scenes that may scare sensitive children. A few “savage” animals cause some mayhem (we see claw marks in cars, on floors, etc.). There is a brief image of an individual with scratches all over him (one of his eyes is swollen). The film also has a few lightly intense action scenes with very little injury. A few explosions are seen. A tranquilizer gun (of sorts) is shot. Three characters are nearly “iced” (or frozen). In a play at the beginning of the film, a young Judy pretends to bleed profusely using red streamers and ketchup.

Sex/Nudity: There is an odd scene where Judy and Nick encounter a “naturalist club” of naked animals. None of the animals in this scene display any sexual anatomy. While not much of an issue for kids (since animals appear this way typically in the wild), it is clearly a “nudist” joke aimed at adults (Judy is clearly uncomfortable by it). Besides that, the singer Gazelle wears a midriff-baring outfit. She and her tiger dancers (who are seen wearing only shorts) dance slightly provocatively.

Other: Meditation is briefly seen. An angry elephant business owner refuses service. Nick cons and lies to people (but later changes his tune).

Conclusion

“Zootopia” is entertaining, clever, fun, and it has some great animation (I saw it in 3D. The extra dimension does add some depth, but I wouldn’t recommend spending the extra money). I personally did not find it to be as enjoyable as “Tangled”, “Frozen” or “Big Hero 6,” but it’s still a very solid effort from the Mouse House. It has some genuinely great messages, and may be one of the most thought-provoking animated films I’ve seen to date.

For Christian/media-wise families, there isn’t a lot to complain about in terms of content. The film shies away (at least for the most part) from the typical bathroom humor used in kids” movies, and it’s mild in all major content categories. It may be a tad edgier than most of Disney’s other animated efforts, but it doesn’t push the content quotient past the boundaries of the film’s PG rating.

Parents do need to be aware, however, that there are some surprisingly mature themes and mixed messages. A lot of these will probably go over the heads of younger kids, but parents that decide to take their crew to “Zootopia” should still be prepared, just in case, to discuss these topics with their children.

Violence: Mild to moderate / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—My family (husband, 2 children ages 13 and 11) saw this movie on Thursday evening. Although we enjoyed the movie—it is visually stunning, great storyline, great messages throughout the movie—there are elements that may bother some people and frighten younger children. We did not see this movie in 3D. There is a pretty intense chase scene through the rain forest at night. There is also a scene where an animal jumps suddenly toward the screen. I literally jumped in my seat. There is also a scene in a “nudist camp”—these are all animals, but I had one friend say it disturbed her. The end of the movie has a gazelle in skimpy clothing singing with shirtless male back-up dancers. Due to the intense scene, I think viewers would be wise to preview this movie for anyone under the age of 6-8.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Patty Moliterno, age 51 (USA)
Positive—My husband and I saw this movie together, and we really enjoyed it. The animation was excellent, and it was neat to see all the different landscapes in the film. The tenacity of the main character, Judy Hopps, was inspiring to watch. It was a good message to not give up on your dreams, even if you have setbacks.

There were some hidden agendas, of course (it seems like there almost always are with Disney). The song “Try Anything” that plays throughout the movie was good but, also a little interesting… It had my husband and I looking at each other, because as Christians there are some things we know better than to try, but I tried to think of it as a positive thing. If I had older children, I would definitely have a talk with them about it, though, regarding how there are some things we don’t want to try (drugs, for example). We almost brought our 2-year-old son, but I’m glad we didn’t because the film was pretty long and some of the scenes were fairly scary (even my hubby and I were on the edge of our seats!)See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Nicole, age 30 (USA)
Positive—OK, so saw this movie, knew from the preview I would enjoy it, just didn’t know how much till I saw for myself, and it was fantastic on every level—heart, humor—everything was great. Loved the spunky officer Judy, and the sly fox was cool too. Dome scenes are a little much for the smallest of kids, but, other than that, go SEE IT.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Chris, age 26 (USA)
Positive—This is a movie that should be shown in the schools. It’s message of tolerance is what the world needs now, with U.S. politicians campaigning on platforms of fear of outsiders. Just last week a knife-wielding lunatic in Toronto cried, “Allah told me to kill them!” Inexplicably, the official reviewer listed this theme of tolerance as a negative. In addition to this theme of embracing our differences, all aspects of this movie are excellent, equal to the best Disney/Pixar works. My 10 and 13 year old grandsons loved it; however, the neutral/negative comments of Chrystal and Greg are noteworthy. Please see the “Non Sequitur” comic strip for March 21, 2016.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brian Schacht, age 69 (Canada)
Positive—For those who say it’s too long for young children… My 3 year old grandson watched it from start to finish in my living room. There were only a couple times I paused it to answer the phone, and he literally was upset that he couldn’t continue watching until GiGi got off the phone. My one year old grandaughter woke from a nap… and sat in my lap barely suckling in her bottle watching the whole last half of the movie… I apparently didn’t hear the Lord’s name in vain parts, but then there were so many things going on in the movie, dialog-wise that I missed that and probably other things… but for the most part it had great dialog. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Chey, age 56 (USA)
Positive—Fantastic movie with fantastic messages. “Zootopia” is the kind of movie you can tell with animals that you couldn’t tell with humans, because it would rub too many people the wrong way. Using animals in place of humans allows the story to transpire with the message intact, without causing any single group ire. The movie is all about breaking the mold, trying everything (by which they mean, try what you want to do, instead of what society and others say you SHOULD do), and the hidden prejudices in all of us. The last one really hits home as you can see how fear and hate can really take a hold of a population and hurt all of us.

It’s a beautiful movie, and I saw NO liberal “agenda” as some people tried to negatively point out (some of us can see an agenda in anything). And as a side note, I just want to point something out about Evolution. We as Christians need to stop being ignorant about science. Evolution exists…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Matt Petersen, age 36 (USA)
Positive—This is a reply to Matt Petersen in the positive comments of Disney’s “Zootopia.” My brother in Christ, please know that Evolution is a man made theory that has been debunked by the scientific community numerous times in the past. The earliest chapters of Genesis explain where man comes from and Who created Adam and Eve. I pray that the Lord gives you wisdom that honors Him above all else. Love, your brother in Christ.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Peter, age 29 (USA)
Positive—Bearing in mind that the film underwent multiple revisions, including switching the protagonist from the backsliding but ultimately repentant Nick to the nigh unwavering and uplifting Judy, and that multitudes of completely written characters were stricken from the film… one could be upset at an almost complete lack of any elements of faith. Aside from a selection of gestures and ripostes, there seems to be nothing overt. Perhaps elements like a comment from the character of Gideon Grey would appear offensive, talking about the act of speaking in tongues… but one would be folly to forget that several denominations see stereotypical See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Abby, age 32 (USA)
Positive—Again, I am shocked and saddened how so many “Christians,” or rather Church Goers go into movies with the purposeful intention to find everything offensive and wrong with it. Why don’t you just stay home and judge blindly like you are doing? The things that are noticed make me laugh. Yes, it was a naturalist/nudist club. But did any of you catch when the Yak said they don’t think it’s natural for animals to wear pants? No, you would rather think it’s unnatural that Bugs Bunny, Foghorn Leghorn and others walk around “naked.” What actually bothered me about the scene was the erotic overtones of some of the animals they viewed. I actually didn’t really think the elephant was offensive since she was simply doing yoga poses. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Conrad, age 48 (USA)
Positive—I thought Zootopia was a good movie that brought up important issues that folks will need to discuss. For the most part, good is called good, and evil is called evil. While evolution is mentioned, it should be noted that the world of Zootopia is a world of anthropomorphic animals (like Disney’s “Robin Hood”), not a world of humans. First of all, I love the message that no one should be outcasted based on the premises of racism and prejudice.
See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Peter, age 27 (USA)
[Addendum to my comment above] …In recent months and years since the movie premiered, I learned something I did not know when I made my comment. Judy’s two neighbors have been revealed to be a homosexual couple by one of the voice actors of said couple. I am really disappointed that Disney would sneak this in a movie that has good messages against prejudice and political corruption. In light of this new revelation, I can say a couple of positive things.

1. The gay neighbors are very rude to each other and Judy. I am happy that the gay lifestyle is shown in an obnoxious light and the movie does present them in a way that certainly does not make me want to imitate them.

2. When I saw the movie, I assumed the neighbors were either relatives or roommates, so I am at least thankful the LGBT+ lifestyle is not force-fed.

My final advice is this: I pray the cast and crew of all Disney movies repent of their sins and turn to Jesus for their salvation. Christians who are in the movie industry need to stand their ground in their faith. John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Peter, age 29 (USA)
Positive—I have watched this movie so many times over the years and kept loving it each time. Judy is very funny at times and knows how to keep someone entertained by putting aside her differences with a fox (who could be seen as a black person or someone of another minority along with the other predators)

Nick himself has a few problems of his own and realizes that even though he messes up, he does have a chance of redemption from his sins. However, Judy does have to watch what she says. She inadvertently causes race riots and prey are lashing out horribly. She was brainwashed into thinking that all predators were bad but was controlled by someone she thought she could trust.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Rachel, age 26 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—Hmm, tough decision whether to write it’s “AVERAGE” as the next choice is “OFFENSIVE.” I agree with the reviewer that I personally would not take a young child under 9 to see it as: 1. It’s way too long for children, and they’ll lose interest (together with trailers you can’t ever avoid, we were in the theatre for 2 full hours), and also the level of extended violence in one or two scenes would be too much for very young and impressionable children. Seriously! It would REALLY scare them!

TOO BAD Disney has to put the “oh my g*ds” in there!! And another time of “by G*d!… I will do “such and such'” And several “butts” (at least 3) and 1 fart… I was especially offended at “Officer Hopps” (main character’s) use of “Sweet Cheese and Crackers” which you KNOW is a pseudonym for “Sweet J*sus”. VERY DISTASTEFUL!! And NOT appreciated!!

Yet, sigh, what else can we expect from antiChrist Disney corp?? This is not the “60s anymore, where they’d at least hide what was truly in their hearts by giving us pure and sweet films we could watch on Sunday nights on TV or in the theatre… fun, uplifting, light movies without hidden agendas OR THE LANGUAGE!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
RJ, age 57 (USA)
Neutral—I saw this movie today with my 7 year old. For the most part, it’s a “good” movie. I say “good” from a worldly standpoint, of course. The reason for the neutral rating: There is nothing in this movie that your child won’t see or hear on a typical public school playground, but there are definitely a lot of things you wouldn’t expect to see on the playground of a private religious school or summer camp. If you’re looking for a fun kid-flick and don’t mind the potty humor, the suggestively-dressed, dancing animals (think about the way Bugs Bunny dresses with a skirt and coconut bra on occasion), or the references to pagan religions, then this movie is for you. If you don’t want your children exposed to that sort of content, you should steer clear of this movie.

The movie has a fun story, memorable characters, and plenty of action, but be warned that there were a couple of scenes in which my 7 year old ended up in my lap crying and shaking, as he watched the scary parts, while peeking through his fingers. I wouldn’t recommend this movie for very young children or for stereotypical little girls who aren’t used to seeing/enjoying anger and violence the way stereotypical little boys are.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Chrystal, age 39 (USA)
Neutral—My wife and I saw “Zootopia” last night. From an entertainment viewpoint, I thought it was okay, but nothing special. The graphics were fantastic, of course, but the plot was a bit predictable. The funniest part is shown in the trailer. It wasn’t nice to hear God’s name used in vain.

The nudist scene, I actually found quite inappropriate, despite it being animals with no anatomy. Sure, I can see it as poking fun at the way cartoon animals tend to walk around naked, but I thought the postures used were actually pretty extreme and focused a lot on private areas. Violent/scary scenes were naturally too over the top for little kids—why are kids” movies always like that these days? Came away with a distinctly “meh” to “nah” opinion.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jono, age 37 (Australia)
Neutral—The movie, in my opinion, has a great message: “You can be whatever you want to be.” Which could be taken in a couple different ways. You can be gay if you want to be OR you are a girl and want to be a police officer, you can! Really, any message from any movie can be twisted to meet your agenda. But, this movie, was a good movie for my kiddos. My daughter got scared at the appropriate scenes. No, no nightmares or after affects. She was fine. She covered her eyes at the scary parts.

The nudist scene was funny. My kids laughed and enjoyed it, I found it funny, too. The movie did not show any “private parts,” which is good! There was a couple scenes that were jaw dropping for me. When the male fox at the beginning of the film slaps the small female child rabbit in the face. I really gasped and just was appalled! That they would show a male hitting a female in the face was really scary and worrisome for me. And there wasn’t any revenge or punishment for the male fox. I felt that my kids would think it was okay for boys to hit girls (especially in the face!) and there were claw marks on her face after she hit the ground.

BUT, good movie. A couple things raised red flags. But can be dealt with at home with a discussion.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jessica, age 25 (USA)
Negative
Negative—I am appalled at this movie. Not sure how we have become so desensitized as Christians to not be upset. The nude scenes with erotic poses by the animals was shocking. Talking about Pleasure pool? Animal butts suggestively in the air mimicking porn poses was just totally uncalled for. I took a snapshot of the elephant with legs open wide camera going just so far as to not show private parts. Picture a woman in those poses at a nude spa and see what visual you have.

What is wrong with our world when you can’t even trust a Walt Disney film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality:
Christine Nelson, age 56 (USA)
Negative—I’m surprised more people aren’t writing negative reviews. Was the message in this movie good? Yes, I think so. It encourages kids to be what they want to be and not give in to labels. It also shows them you can fail, but you get back up again. However, I thought there were many instances where I wasn’t comfortable—the “naturalist” club was one (the film wouldn’t lose anything without it), and the use of words like “jerk” and “shut up” was another. It also promoted lying to get ahead—even when Nick helped Judy, he still used a lot of con moves.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Stacy, age 33 (USA)
NegativeMy greatest concern about this movie is the message, to “try everything”. This message is provocatively presented, cartoonishly, by Gazelle, in the song, “Try Everything”. This can be dangerously misunderstood to do exactly what it says. The song does not say, try everything “good”. It says “try everything.” This reminds me of Pinocchio being invited to try everything on Pleasure Island, to the near loss of his identity and freedom; of young people being encouraged to try sin, in its many forms, and of the serpent offering Eve, the forbidden fruit. After all, according to the message, one should “try everything.” The consequences can be, and often are, devastating; even to the loss of one’s soul.

Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality:
Greg, age 70 (USA)
Negative—Did no one catch the reference, “Whew, I feel better, I thought she was speaking in tongues or something” indicating that something is bad with Christians who do speak in tongues. Not to mention the gratuitous “nudists colony” scene. This is just part and parcel of the way Hollywood promotes Christian bashing. …And they’re getting us to pay at least $8 apiece to receive the slap in the face.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Alan, age 46 (USA)
Negative—I’m writing this just a few hours after watching “Zootopia.” Something is rubbing me the wrong way about this movie. As somebody else here has said, I’m surprised that there isn’t more negative reviews, specifically, from Christians. The movie quality was great. It’s a digital animation, as usual from Disney. The writing was smart, and story telling was superb. The story, itself, didn’t—for the most part—contradict with all of the themes and characters involved. Most of all there was a lot of laughs.

A lot of adult-level moral themes. One thing that I’m a bit surprised at was the nudist club. The joke, and it was funny, was that animals aren’t really naked or they’re already that way to us. There was no offensive anatomy. However, the elephant doing yoga and other animals lounging around provocatively was potty humor. If it was anybody else other than Disney, I wouldn’t have thought anything about it. And, this wasn’t the part that rubbed me wrong. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Justin, age 34 (USA)
Negative—Wow! I can’t believe all the comments I’ve read, no Christian I’ve seen yet has realized the horns, Satanic symbolics everywhere, not just on animals and most of all that the goat is portrayed as good, “try everything” message to our children, yeah, like the forbidden fruit, like anything in rebellion against God, but most of all, the Lamb is portrayed as the bad! Not to mention all the so called against racial profiling, which is saying to me predators are good, just misunderstood. That could be taken in many ways, but with all the sexual undertones I’d not necessarily think racial divide right off the bat, what about sexual predators? Evil is good, good is evil. No matter what point this is supposed to be making, it is disguised as a good message, and, as far as I perceive, it is all evil disguised as good.

What part does a nudist colony and and provocative things, some you have to watch in slow motion to even detect have in a children’s movie. To me its pushing the gay agenda, transgender, and satanic worship even the minds of children. Does that seem a little over the top to you? Maybe you should watch it a little closer, and as someone said above, how desensitized have we become? The horned gazelle singing try everything with the obviously gay tigers? dancing around her. It’s pushing our kids into all and every kind of sex is okay and we can all be whatever we feel like we are, the transgender issue. As far as I am concerned Disney is a tool of the enemy, especially now days.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Dawn, age 51 (USA)
Negative—Have viewed all of movie, but for 1 or 2 minutes during the naturalist club scene—“Zootopia” is an extremely well done film, in terms of graphics, and in terms of the creativity in the plot line. I watched this film with my wife the other night and here are some of the key points I want to mention. In regards to the content, this movie would be extremely inappropriate for children. Even as an adult, many things were very sexually inappropriate, and the only reason I didn’t view this film in entirety was because I had to, for conscience sake, forward through some of the scene at the naturalist club. Other than that 1 or 2 minutes, I watched the whole thing. It talked about the animals being naked (which they are in real life, but in “Zootopia” it is another story, where they are portrayed like people and with personality and emotion etc.) and showed extremely provocative poses and had dirty talk. So, we had to fast forward part of that when I realized what was going on.

Throughout the movie, there is not only this scene but others that would encourage pornography and sexual immorality. Some that are coming to mind are when multiple characters are using an app that coincides with pornography. The concert in the end of the movie and shots of Gazelle dressed inappropriately are also shown multiple times throughout the movie. The receptionist at the police office is also shown multiple times to say things that could definitely be seen as lustful and that are inappropriate. And these messages are portrayed as good and okay and to be accepted-in regards to the raw content these are the biggest things that bothered me. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Skylar, age 29
Negative—The two things that stood out to both me and my husband that I’ve yet to see mentioned are; #1—the “try anything” theme song is not something we want seared on the mind of our 8 year old. #2—the pentagram on the floor in the police station was a huge red flag. Some could argue that it represents the police badge, but when we stopped to consider the souls of the children (and adults) watching, we feel it’s better to err on the side of caution. The more often our children see these images, the sooner they will be desensitized, and it will be common place.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Heather, age 42 (USA)
Negative—So it is “unfortunate” that the movie takes God’s name in vain including two OMGs and a “minced oath” mockery of Jesus Christ. The scriptwriters clearly go out of their way to break new ground at Disney in breaking the 3rd Commandment but, yawn, no big deal. They were just following their Frozen mantra “There’s no right or wrong” and their Zootopia advice to young people, “Try Everything”. Wake up and smell the tranquilizer in the coffee people! The above issue (3rd Commandment) is why I did not view this film in its entirety.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Don, age 65 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—As a person who always wanted to be a police officer since the age of 8, I loved “Zootopia.” The movie has a great message about not giving up on your dreams, even when other people or things bring you down. Although, they pushed the agenda of “You can be anything you wanna be.” way too much. Oh, and the scene of the nudist area. Although nothing is shown, it still implies that the animals are nude. The very ending showed the Gazelle singing with male back-up dancers. The singer was in inappropriate clothing and the male dancers were topless.

If you can get past the whole pushing for ALL equality agenda (reminders of LGBT movement, etc.) and inappropriate scenes, it’s a good movie that everyone should watch. Some aspects of the movie maybe frightening to smaller children.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Ali, age 18 (USA)
Positive—“Zootopia” was an amazing movie. There was a great story with some mystery, great characters, humor, and animation. The objectionable content would include 2 instances of taking God’s name in vain, the nude animals scene, and some parts that are scary for younger children. There’s also minor language. One scene had a tiger that popped up out of nowhere; it startled me, and I almost dropped my popcorn. I don’t see why the message about racism is a negative element, I think it’s a great message, especially to put in a kids movie. Some Biblical examples of this would be Genesis 1:27 and Mark 12:31. If you can handle the negative elements listed, then I would definitely recommend seeing “Zootopia.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Katie, age 13 (USA)
Positive—This movie is funny, entertaining, and very creative. It deals with real world messages that Christians, non-Christians, liberals, and conservatives can resonate with and appreciate such as respecting others regardless of race, avoiding stereotypes and prejudice, and making the world a better place. Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps have amazing chemistry and are one of the best Fictional duos.

The song “Try Everything” is a very good and catchy song that deals with perseverance and pursuing passions and opportunities. Honestly, I really don’t understand why some Christians in the “Negative” section had a problem with this song. It’s not advocating moral ambiguity or anything like that. It seems like they are taking the song out of context and making it out to be a harmful message for children. The phrase “Get out of your comfort zone” is not an inherently bad message. This message would generally be received as teaching to take brave steps to improve your abilities and not always settle for what is easy or normal. But if one contorts this general inspirational statement to claim that it could possibly teach a kid to cheat on a test because their “comfort zone” is to do their own work, then does that mean the general message is inherently bad because someone can interpret poorly? No. So I personally don’t have a problem with it.

My only negative is that the villain is weak. Other than that, I loved this movie and highly recommend that you check it out.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Gandfald, age 18 (USA)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—Not having watched the movie myself, but my nearly 7 year old watched it with a friend and his family (close family friends), I cannot comment on the storyline or apparently great technical affects of the movie. However, the after affect on my son has not been positive. He has experienced nightmares now for 3 consecutive nights waking up telling me about how scary the movie was to him. Also, not wanting to go back to bed alone, due to being so scared of thinking about the movie again. We have watched plenty of movies, and no other “family” rated movie has had this affect on him. Great pity, as it was something he really looked forward to! I guess he must fall under that “more sensitive” viewers group mentioned in review.
Rozanne, age 35 (South Africa)
Negative—I have not seen this movie, however, my 7 year old son returned from watching it on Saturday the 9th April 2016 (at a birthday party) and, as another non-viewer (Roxanne) commented about her son, my son has had trouble going to sleep the past two nights in a row due to being frightened by the movie. My son has watched movies like “How to Train Your Dragon” 1 and 2 which could be argued have a few scary scenes in them, but he has never responded with the same fear as he has with this movie, so I have to wonder what Disney was trying to achieve in including such scary scenes in their animation?

Surely, they can leave that to non-animated movies that are suitably age-restricted? If my son had not been invited to see the movie, we were going to see it as I had watched some of the trailers and they seemed harmless. I am usually very careful about the movies I allow my children to watch, but this one really took me by surprise, and I regret not having researched it more carefully. Next time, I will not be so quick to think Disney movies are harmless.
Mandy, age 42 (South Africa)
Negative—I find the scene at The Mystic Spring Oasis extremely troublesome. Disney’s “meditative moment” at the spa, which appears midway through the film, with the oming mangy Yax with its hooves fixed in a mudra, and its legs locked into a lotus position is most decidedly Hindu in nature. Also, the Yax sits below a mystical sacred circle known as a mandala. This circle is used as both a Buddhist and Hindu conduit to meditation. This “in-the-zone” Yax is not what I would want any child to be exposed to.

As to the nudity pictured—sad indeed! Young children playing with their Yax toy could easily copy it, and the brazen movement it did in Judy’s face. Then, there’s the Yogi Elephant Nangi whose name means “naked “in Hindu. While it may have had amazing animal animation these two scenes ruin the movie. Also, note: The Dorling Kindersley book: Disney Zootopia: The Essential Guide gives four explicit pages to these not needed deplorable scenes. Christian parents need to teach their children that meditative chanting as done by the Yax is no where found in Scripture. As opposed to many reviewers elsewhere, I do not find the nudity scene cute or funny.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
L. Putnam, age 70 (USA)
Negative—Bunnyburrow is pretty backwater. Ma and Pa, epitomising simpleton anxious parents who love their kids (and have lots of them), are shocked to learn that their little Judy (or affectionately known as ‘Jude the Dude’) aspires to make the world a better place through being a police officer. They learn of this in the opening scene where she is acting alongside her friends in a kids play. Obviously, now that we have evolved passed the need for predators to be predators, and prey to fear them, we don’t need to be limited by old thinking. ‘Zootopia’ is leading this cultural revolution and is proclaimed by the kids in the play as the place where ‘Anyone can be Anything!”

Ma and Pa aren’t excited. Their daughter thinks something completely different to what they think. And when her parents are depicted as outdated and silly, you can side with Judy when she seeks to do things on her own and follow her dreams to wherever they may take her. This disrespect for those who are responsible for her is a character trait and will show up again later in her journey. Her tenacity however, in achieving and overcoming difficulties (of which there are many, being a cute little bunny seeking to enter the domain of rhino’s, elephants, big cats and buffalo which form part of the police department), is noticed and applauded.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Naomi, age 35 (Australia)
Negative—I found the movie to be offensive. First time to ever really find cartoon offensive. My quick background I’m female firefighter and could relate to Judy to her hard work. But she seemed to automatically assume she should get a good case because she passed. What I found offensive was the parents and how marriage and family was portrayed. I also feel they really made fun of people who are conservative and live a country lifestyle. The parents claimed they gave up on their dreams and settled. They referred to country living as hicks and small towns being simple minded people. I’m married and still living my dream. It tells young girls you can’t have marriage family and still chase your dreams.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Rachael, age 30 (USA)
Negative—This movie was absolutely adorable, which is why it was such a disappointment. I saw racial messages, as well as homosexual messages throughout the film. As others have said, it used God’s name in vain multiple times and had a very out with the old (traditional values) and in with the new message. This was just a political movie dressed up to look cute. The most disturbing part for me was a nudist scene with animals, they weren’t just nude, it was full of sexual innuendos and obviously inappropriate poses for anything nude.

I took my 3 year old to see it, he didn’t seen frightened. Not something I’d have taken him to had I known how it’d be.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Valerie, age 23 (USA)
Negative—Am I the only viewer who noticed the pentagram on the floor in one scene? Also, the derogatory remark about speaking in tongues, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit?? It amazes me how cleverly these so called family movies get certain messages across and no one seems to notice or care.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Nancy, age 64 (USA)
Negative—The movie was a 2 hour long liberal sermon. So obviously about race relations, it was insultingly condescending. There is scene where an elephant doesn’t want to serve “his kind” in referring to a fox. Then we are told how 90% of the population (whites) jump to racist conclusions about predators (blacks) because of a few bad apples. This might have been a great tale 30 years ago when race relations were bitter and it had something to teach us. Now it just comes out as way over the top preachy.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jason Bertucci, age 45 (Canada)
Negative—I found there was a strong emphasis on Evolution, with the added statement that was rooted in the Satanist do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law; the problem is the nature of the film had aggressive secularist material, with the added New Age emphasis on yoga and alternative meditation. There’s a married gay couple in Disney’s “Zootopia,” but nearly everyone missed it.

…“Zootopia” features a city populated by animals—and follows Judy Hopps, a young rabbit seeking to fulfil her dream of being a police officer. However, when she moves to the city she is frustrated with her loud next-door neighbours in the Grand Pangolin Arms apartment block. The two antelope characters, Bucky and Pronk, are seen loudly bickering when Judy is first shown to her apartment. Though their living situation is never explicitly confirmed on screen, eagle-eyed viewer have spotted a tiny confirmation that the characters are married. The film’s credits list them as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson and Pronk Oryx-Antlerson—with their double-barrelled last name appearing to suggest that the pair tied the knot to live unhappily ever after. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Miguel, age 36 (United Kingdom)

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