Zootopia follows bunny officer Judy Hopps on her first case as she investigates several mysterious disappearances, with shifty fox Nick Wilde as her unlikely partner.
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Message
Zootopia has a strong message of "don't judge a book by it's cover" that extends further to "anyone can be anything". Judy's parents, Nick, the police academy, police chief Bogo, and Judy's childhood bully all initially reinforce the stereotype that bunnies are dumb and weak. As the movie progresses Judy remains determined to prove them wrong, and one by one characters slowly accept the idea that Judy, and by extension all the Zootopia creatures, are able to be something other than what is dictated by stereotypes. This message is established so well and referenced so often, that children will easily notice it.
Content
Language
The non-abbreviated "OMG" phrase is used.
There is no other swearing in this movie.
Fears
Predator animals are "going savage", meaning they're acting like a wild animal. They can be pretty scary for smaller children, especially when they attack other animals.
There's an explosion at a distance, and the lingering flames aren't portrayed as scary.
Judy initially starts investigating disappearances, but later learns they're kidnappings. Judy and Nick are also captured by a mob boss who wants to "ice" them (literally throw them in freezing water, presumably to be frozen to death).
Zootopia does an excellent job of using the environment to enhance a scene. So while there's no scary darkness or storms, there's many scary scenes that occur when it's nighttime or inside of a dark building or during bad weather. If your child is old enough that they aren't scared of the content in the scary scenes, then the darkness and storms shouldn't be an issue for them.
There's no clowns, strong villains, or home break-ins.
Family & Relationships
Judy has a good, strong relationship with her family. Despite disagreeing with her dream of becoming a cop, they still love and support her in pursuit of that dream. She keeps them updated on her life via a video call, and they even welcome her back home during a rough patch.
Mrs. Otterton's husband is one of the missing animals. There's a large focus on her sadness related to missing him, and it's referenced in several scenes.
Both Judy and Nick are bullied as children for going against stereotypes, and many other characters give Judy a hard time because she is a bunny that is trying to be a cop. The mayor bullies the assistant mayor like a stereotypical terrible boss does. All bullying characters seem to have a change of heart or receive some form of consequence by the end of the movie.
Judy and Nick visit a "naturalist club" where all the animals are specifically called out as being naked. There's no private parts or sexual activity shown; basically it's all the same animals seen throughout the movie just without pants or a shirt drawn on them... but adults will notice many innuendos like spread legs and bent over butts. I recommend you preview this scene beforehand (~37 minutes in), as children's reactions could vary from being uncomfortable, to thinking it's funny, or having questions.
There is no divorce, sneaking out, or running away.
Other Content
The animals are very human-like (they talk, walk on 2 legs, use technology, have jobs, express human emotions, etc.) unless exposed to a specific chemical, which will turn them wild. This is explained as a scientific process: the animals have simply evolved away from their prior wild ways. There is nothing else "magical" in the movie. Unsurprisingly, evolution is mentioned several times.
Some scenes, mostly the scary ones, can be particularly intense for smaller kids due to how well they were created.
Politically, the mayor is involved with morally questionable kidnappings and covering them up. Meanwhile, the assistant mayor covets his position and seizes the opportunity to assume power.
Zootopia appears to be a play on the word Utopia. It's described as a great city "Where our ancestors first joined together in peace, and declared that anyone can be anything!". All types of animals co-exist in Zootopia, which is made to resemble a current day city filled with the anthropomorphic animals.
The naturalist club has characters meditating and doing yoga. There's mild violence where a few characters get hit by things or punched. Death is threatened on several occasions.
There's no time travel or LGBT.
Conclusion
Zootopia is a well done movie with a story line that even adults can appreciate. However, some of the scenes can be too scary and intense for little kids. Additionally, I recommend previewing the "naturalist club" scene ahead of time to gauge how your kids may respond to it.
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