Earlier this year, the Disney brought the world Zootopia, a charming film that is (on the surface) about natural adversaries becoming unlikely allies while solving a mystery. But on a deeper level, however, Zootopia engaged with complex thematic material related to race, the crack epidemic, and the brutalization of the black community by the Reagan era war on drugs. That is engaged with these issues without ever once raising the hackles of political reactionaries in the target audience should give us some sense of the deftness of the filmmakers. Zootopia was a significant cinematic and political accomplishment.
The same can not be said about The Secret Life of Pets. For those interested in seeing the film unspoiled, I would suggest you look away now, because plot details are coming. But check back in after you've seen the film, because the political issues at play are too important to ignore.
