Zootopia Quotes – Top 12 Inspirational Messages
One of my absolute favourite movies is Zootopia. I’m a sucker for a Disney movie that is inspirational and packed with lessons and humour, and this one is one of the best.
Zootopia tells the tale of Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), a very tenacious bunny who has dreams of becoming a police officer. In this town of animals, she is the very first bunny cop to join the force which brings it’s own challenges. Throughout the movie we see Judy exude confidence, determination and kindness as she works her case with her new friend Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) – who happens to be a fox. We follow the cute little bunny on her journey from growing up in Bunnyburrow to becoming Officer Judy Hopps. She deals with negativity from many around her, and it’s how she succeeds in spite of it.
My top 12 memorable quotes from Zootopia
1. “Tomorrow’s another day” – Judy Hopps
Judy says this while trying to remain positive after a bad day. Her neighbour replies through the wall “ya but it might be worse!”
This one makes me laugh because I think we can all relate to this. Judy is trying to be positive but the negativity from external forces is loud and clear!
2. “Sometimes we come last, but we did our best” – Gazelle
This is a fantastic line in the song “Try Everything” performed by Shakira (Gazelle). This song should be on your ‘motivational playlist’ if it isn’t already. It talks about how we all make mistakes but how you should TRY. I could have written out all of the lyrics – they are that motivational! “I won’t give up, I won’t give in” – seriously, download and listen.
3. “It’s great to have dreams” – Bonnie Hopps “just as long as you don’t believe in them too much.” – Stu Hopps
When her parents are trying to temper a young Judy’s dreams that they don’t believe are achievable. Judy happily ignores this negativity as they try to tell her there has never been a bunny cop before. Her reply? “I guess I’ll have to be the first”. This one really gets to me as it shows (so clearly) how sometimes very well meaning people in our lives try to discourage us from trying things for fear of failure.
4. “Hey Judy, I’d just like to say I’m sorry for the way I behaved in my youth. I had a lot of self-doubt, and it manifested itself in the form of unchecked rage and aggression. I was a major jerk.” – Gideon Grey
Gideon is the example of how people change and they shouldn’t be judged based on acts from their youth. Gideon goes from a bully to being a partner to a bunny carrot farmer.
5. “Well, he was right about one thing. I don’t know when to quit!” – Judy Hopps
After an altercation with the bully Gideon, young Judy Hopps jumps up more determined than ever to make the world a better place.
6. “Life isn’t some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and all your insipid dreams magically come true. So let it go.” – Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba – his voice lends an extra element of humour when he says this line)
This quote has to make you laugh where he is obviously poking fun at the movies, but it’s also another case where Officer Hopps is being discouraged by those around her. The Chief says this to Judy after she tells him “I don’t want to be a meter maid, I want to be a real cop”. Kind of makes you think about how many people in your real life do this to you doesn’t it? Put a damper on your dreams?
7. “Never let them see that they get to you.” – Nick Wilde
While Nick was originally the one to call Judy a dumb bunny, their friendship has matured by this point of the movie where you can see how they care for each other. He sticks up for her with her boss and proclaims that they will continue their search for the poor missing otter they are searching for. It’s a moment when you realize that their friendship has grown from the most unlikely pairing.
8. “Sir, I’m not just some token bunny” – Judy “Well then, writing one hundred tickets a day should be easy.” – Chief Bogo. “A hundred tickets, I’m not gonna write a hundred tickets. I’m gonna write two-hundred tickets! Before noon!” – Judy
This is a great example of how Judy is determined to be good – at whatever she’s doing. She doesn’t want to be writing tickets, but if she is going to do it – she will be the BEST at it. She isn’t afraid of hard work and will prove and earn her place.
9. “I will take your kindness and pay it forward” – Mr Big
The big crime boss in the movie is Mr Big – who is an arctic shrew, a very small animal who is surrounded by polar bears for protection. Nick is begging Judy to stop talking to Mr Big as he tries to hide the fact that she is on the police force. Mr Big commands the bears to “ice ’em” until his daughter walks in and identifies Judy as the cop that saved her from a flying donut. Paying kindness forward is always a good lesson and sometimes you get help from the most unlikely places.
10. “Told you Nangi has a mind like a steel trap. Ah, I wish I had a memory like an elephant.” – Yax
This is such a fun segment of the movie where Judy goes to a “naturalist club” for the animals and they are greeted by a Yak named Yax who is voiced by Tommy Chong (best known as half of Cheech & Chong). Yax is at the reception desk and is trying to help Judy with information about the missing Mr Otterton she’s looking for. He walks her out to the elephant that was his yoga instructor – certainly the elephant will remember all of the details! The funny thing is that the elephant named Nangi continues to insist she can’t remember anything, but Yax continues to ask questions with incredible detail in them. “Yeah, and we both walked him out, and he got into this big old white car with a silver trim. Needed a tune-up, the third cylinder wasn’t firing. Remember that, Nangi?”. This entire scene illustrates how we assume others have capabilities and skills while completely overlooking them in ourselves!
11. “What, are you saying that because he’s a sloth he can’t be fast? I thought in Zootopia anyone could be anything.” – Nick Wilde
In this hilarious scene the sloth is in fact painfully slow. As he repeats the three-humped camel joke that Nick told him, Judy tries to explain she’s in a really big hurry – but he just can’t move any faster. The irony is, he is judged as a sloth for being slow, but in the end – turns out to be the fastest guy in a car!
12. Gideon Grey was a jerk who happened to be a fox. I know plenty of bunnies who are jerks. – Judy Hopps
Such a powerful message about not judging based on ‘biology’. Just because he was a fox – that wasn’t what made him a jerk. Jerks exist in every kind of animal.
Judy’s speech at the end of the movie welcoming the new recruits to the academy sums it all up perfectly!
“When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place, where everyone got along and anyone could be anything. Turns out, real life is a little bit more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations, we all make mistakes, which means – hey, glass half full! – we all have a lot in common. And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be. But we have to try. So no matter what type of animal you are; from the biggest elephant, to our first fox, I implore you – try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with all of us.”
C’mon – some great lessons right? Be kind to one another, do the right thing and believe in yourself.
Have you seen Zootopia? What is your favourite part?
