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Zootropolis Is The Most Important Animation In Years

Anyone who still considers animated films to be for kids are not only doing themselves a disservice, but are metaphorically slapping the faces of all the pros who create the likes of ‘WALL-E’, ‘Mary and Max’, and ‘Iron Giant’.

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The medium of animation (and yes, it is a medium and not a genre) has been pushing boundaries for decades. Disney has tackled social issues - granted, not always in the most politically correct way, especially with how some of their classics have aged - but modern animation appears to generally have meaningful messages woven within. Whether it’s coping with loss and loneliness in Pixar’s ‘Up’, ‘Big Hero 6′s’ focus on childhood grief, or ‘Frozen’s’ subversive approach to sexuality, many animated feature have a moral, message, or important subtext to speak of.

And Disney’s latest, ‘Zootropolis’, is no different. In fact, it’s arguably one of the most ambitious animated films in many years because of the very real and current issues it deals with.

It’s worth noting that, as a film serving primarily as a form of entertainment, this is an extremely witty, laugh-out-loud funny, well-balanced, story driven, and gorgeously conceived movie.

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On its surface, ‘Zootropolis’ seems like a fairly standard, colourful animation that kids will enjoy this Easter. But there’s far more to it with a central theme that’s so vitally important in 2016. The film deals with a few things: firstly, it touches upon acceptance. We see this with our lead character Judy Hopps (played by Ginnifer Goodwin). Ever since Judy was young, she wanted to join the police force. The problem was not only did she live way out in the countryside, where her community didn’t have the opportunity, but was told that she simply couldn’t do it because of who she was. In the bustling world of Zootropolis, rabbits don’t join law enforcement. It’s just not done, and is frowned upon. There’s a great message about breaking the mould and sticking a middle finger up at stereotypes.

But the above, it can be argued, is a commonly found theme in plenty of other animated films across the past few decades. The second, and most important, topic discussed here is xenophobia and racism. It’s hard to imagine that Disney would address such deep, sensitive issues, but they do and do so extremely effectively.

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Anyone who uses social media will be aware of the ignorance that engulfs it, especially when terrorist attacks occurs and religion is discussed. As with Paris and, most recently, Brussels, there’s huge prejudice against Muslims and a very prevalent ‘concern’ (aka Islamophobia) growing online. The notion of acceptance, no matter who you are, what your background or stereotype may represent, is at the forefront of the narrative in ‘Zootropolis’ and does a sterling job of informing audiences that ignorance and xenophobia simply isn’t acceptable.

Here, we’re presented with a city where predators and prey coexist peacefully. However, when this mutually beneficial relationship begins to crack, there’s a call for tolerance that runs through the film’s spine, which a lot of people in the real world could seriously take note of.

As a self-proclaimed uber fan of animation, it outdoes anything I’ve seen over the past decade. In fact, it’s difficult to recall anything that’s tackled such evocative and politically-charged discourse so passionately.

If something can entertain and offer a deft commentary on real-life political issues in the accessible way ‘Zootropolis’ does, then it’s definitely worth your time.

‘Zootropolis’ is in UK cinemas now.

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