Zootopia

I held a contest for the school-going nieces and nephews last December. They were supposed to write a 200 word essay on the most influential person in their life. Alas out of 6 only 3 responded so all three were rewarded. Two of them, D and H are in KL so I treated them to a movie and meal.

Although both wanted to watch Ola Bola, I managed to convince them to watch Zootopia instead simply because I was more keen to watch the animation. Ok guys, don't bite off my head, I will watch Ola Bola eventually to support the local movie everyone is raving about.

Needless to say, I LOVED Zootopia. It is a funny, fast paced and steeped with moral values kind of movie that every set of parents with kids should watch. I am not going to spoil the fun by revealing the plot but rather I am going to list down a few key messages I found in that movie.

1) ALWAYS believe in yourself
     Nobody but you MUST believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to do. Detractors are there in your life not to dampen your spirit but to toughen you up therefore be thankful to them.

2) Working very HARD is the key to success
     You have to have reasonable goals (reasonable? Go ahead and have OUTRAGEOUS ones) and work hard to achieve them

3) Do not 'HOVER OVER' your children.
    This message is exclusively for over protective parents. It is imperative to let your children follow their dreams. It is difficult to let them go but do it with a loving heart and (LOTS of) prayers.

4) NEVER underestimate a person's strength
    We are not GOD so never judge. A small person doesn't mean he/she is weak and likewise, a big person is not always strong.

5) NEVER EVER stereotype those around you
    I think this is the key message in this movie. Like I said, I don't want to reveal the plot but when you watch it, you will know it right away. Sadly, stereotyping people according to race, gender, body size etc is the norm now. It is imperative to know that we are all belong to the human race and we come in all shapes, colours, sizes, beliefs and cultures. We need to strive to live harmoniously in the only home we have, Earth.

Although it is a show about animals, it very much resonates with us humans. For movie addicts like me, you will be able to relate some of the characters to the iconic movies such as Godfather (sorry, an itsy bitsy spoiler alert) It was also heart warming to see the cinema packed with more adults than children (it was during the school holidays!) because adults are beginning to realize that animations are worth watching in the cinema too. I wonder when Hubby is going to get that revelation? :P

So please do watch it and I guarantee you will fall in love with the characters especially Flash the Sloth (oops, sorry again)

image from Google