Zootopia is the 153rd episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Joe Starr and Andy Signore. It parodies Disney's 2016 computer-animated film Zootopia. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It was published on June 7, 2016, to coincide with the film's release on home video and Blu-ray It is 4 minutes 20 seconds long. It has been viewed over 7.8 million times.
Watch Honest Trailers - Zootopia on YouTube
"A fantastically animated, well-told lesson about disproving stereotypes, even though the fox character really is sneaky, the weasels do cheat, and the sloths are slow." ~ Honest Trailers - Zootopia
Script[]
From Pixney...I mean, Disnar...man, these two are really starting to blend together (Disney and Pixar)...comes the Disney animated film that grossed a billion dollars and finally got people to stop talking about Frozen.
Bogo: Let it go.
Zootopia
Journey to Zootopia, a place with twelve unique ecosystems and one generic pop song, in this city that's either an impossibly advanced paradise where animals live together in harmony, or a palace built by our mammal overlords in the ashes of the extinct human world after war and famine wiped us from the Earth. Y'know, one of the two.
Fall in love with smart, complex animal characters and their lazy forced pun names...
Mrs. Otterton: His name is Emmitt Otterton.
Duke Weaselton: It's Weaselton, Duke Weaselton.
Madge Honey Badger: Mayor Lionheart.
Benjamin Clawhauser: Benjamin Clawhauser.
...like Judy Hopps -- get it? 'Cause she's a... (sighs) -- cinema's most likable meter maid. Actually, cinema's only likable meter maid, because seriously, meter maids are the worst! I mean, c'mon, I was only in there for, like, five minutes! And, no, you haven't written the little ticket yet because I can see your stupid little machine right there! Get a real job, lady!
Hippo Girl: My mommy says she wishes you were dead.
So do I! (sighs) Get it together, man.
When Hopps teams up with foxy con artist Nick Wilde, they'll work together to catch more predators than Chris Hansen and form a sort-of romance...?
Nick Wilde: You know you love me.
Judy Hopps: Do I know that? Yes, yes I do.
...that, sadly, they'll never be able to consummate. Not 'cause I'm species-ist or anything. It's just that nobody in this movie has any genitals, or even a...y'know...a butthole. Seriously, how does anyone even go to the bathroom in this place?
Follow along with this kids' film/noir crime thriller full of bright colors, cute characters, allegories to contemporary racial and...class politics (Judy Hopps: You're not like them./Nick Wilde: Oh, there's a 'them' now.), police discrimination (Bogo: You think I'm gonna believe a fox?), affirmative action (Leodore Lionheart: Mammal inclusion initiative...), tokenism (Judy Hopps: Sir, I'm not just some token bunny.), sexism...? (Nick Wilde: So are all rabbits bad drivers, or is it just you?)...and...racial slurs?
Judy Hopps: A bunny can call another bunny 'cute', but when other animals do it, it's a little...
(Benjamin Clawhauser gasps)
...that will either teach your kid to be more tolerant or turn them into a furry.
So settle in for a fantastically animated, well-told lesson about disproving stereotypes, even though the fox character really is sneaky, the weasels do cheat, and the sloths are slow. Oh, wait, no, does this mean I'm racist? I owned a bunch of rabbits when I was a kid. I mean, no, they were mine, but not that I, y'know...not like they're property or...l-look, I love rabbits, okay? Just...that came out all wrong. (whispering) Go to "Starring". Go to "Starring"!
Starring NYPD Bluth (Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde), The Part in the Trailer That Made You Want to See the Movie (Raymond S. Persi as Flash), Buffa-Luther (Idris Elba as Bogo), Baaaaad (Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether), Mayor Mufasa (J. K. Simmons as Leodore Lionheart), Shakira as Shakira (Shakira as Gazelle), Your Stereotypical Italian Mobster (Maurice LaMarche as Mr. Big), Your Stereotypical Donut-Eating Cop (Nate Torrence as Benjamin Clawhauser), Your Stereotypical Dumb Southerner (Phil Johnston as Gideon Grey), and Hot Fuzz (Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps). You get it? 'Cause she's a bunny cop, but she's hot, too...wait, I can say that she's hot, though, right? Dang it, am I a racist *and* a furry now? (sighs) This movie is such a minefield.
Honest title for Zootopia - Paw and Order. Title design by Robert Holtby.
Paw and Order
(shows animal-themed Disney movie parodies from the film) Let's see, Pig Hero 6, Wrangled, Wreck-It Rhino. Hmm, I wonder what they think of Lion King and The Jungle Book. Are they, like, documentaries?
Trivia[]
- Screen Junkies have produced Honest Trailers for several other computer animated movies including Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Inside Out, The Incredibles, Cars & Cars 2, Despicable Me 1 & 2, Minions, The Emoji Movie, The Boss Baby, Shrek, Frozen, Moana, Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6. See list of Honest Trailers for more.
- An Honest Trailer Commentary for this episode was recorded and was available on the Screen Junkies Plus until the website/app was discontinued. Screen Junkies don't currently have any way of releasing the video.
Reception[]
Honest Trailers - Zootopia has a 98.1% approval rating from YouTube viewers. CBR.com noted that the Screen Junkies poke fun "at the movie’s treatment of stereotypes, racism, sexism and token-ism, all while barely hiding their delight with the film." CBR.com also observed that Screen Junkies' "harshest critiques centers not on the film’s inclusion of mature topics, but on its details: how these topics translate to character names, character personalities and a lack of… genitals." The Mary Sure wrote "the trailer does riff on how the movie delivers difficult messages about class, race, and systemic injustice in a package that’s undeniably appealing for kids, but in my opinion, that’s one of Zootopia‘s biggest strengths"
Nerdist wrote that "our Youtube overlords" aka Screen Junkies have produced a video that "does point out a few things about the movie that make you see the entire thing in a bit of a different light," including asking where are all the humans. Nerdist also noted "the trailer essentially warns that if you show your kid Zootopia, you’ll either make them a kind, tolerant adult, or start them on the road to being a furry super early."
Screen Rant said the Honest Trailer was a "funny nitpicking exercise." In the same article, the site pointed out that "the Zootopia Honest Trailer highlights some of the best moments of the film, including Nick and Judy's inability to consummate their sort-of romance that's established. It also, and quite rightly, has a dig at Shakira's inclusion as pop star Gazelle which is arguably one of its weakest elements, as well as a note to the creative laziness of many of the characters' names."
Screen Rant also commented on the significance of the video, remarking:
The fact that Screen Junkies have given us the Zootopia Honest Trailer speaks volumes - clearly the film's had enough impact on audiences all over the world to be worthy of the light-hearted criticism they send its way. While it's a stand-out movie for commendably addressing key social issues such as racism, xenophobia, tokenism, stereotyping, affirmative action, and sexism, it doesn't stop the video makers from having a pop in its likable, frivolous manner. (Mike Williams, June 7, 2016, Screen Rant)
Production credits[]
Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - Zootopia
Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey
Title design by Robert Holtby
Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner
Written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Joe Starr & Andy Signore
Edited by Anthony Falleroni
External links []
- THINGS GET COMPLICATED IN THE ZOOTOPIA HONEST TRAILER - Nerdist article
- Disney's Zootopia Gets an Honest Trailer - Screen Rant article
- WATCH: ‘Zootopia’ Honest Trailer Satirizes Film’s Furry Tropes - CBR.com article
- Honest Trailers Presents Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ - Geeks of Doom article
- The Honest Trailer for Zootopia Reminds Us Not to Think Too Hard About Its Racial Allegory - Slate article
- Nobody Has a Butthole: Honest Trailers Tackles Zootopia - The Mary Sue article