Zootopia is easily one of the best and most-beloved animated features to come out of Disney in recent years, but there are certainly more than a few reasons it maintains its status. From the script to its wild cast of animal characters, the film is easily a prime example of Disney at its best.
But while one of the biggest features is definitely the script, its sense of humor is where the writers truly shine. Zootopia has its impressive quotes, but it also has its one-liners and jokes that just feel right at home in a colorful Disney production.
Bogo
“Didn’t Forget, Just Don’t Care.”
Despite his position and no-nonsense nature, Bogo does have a particularly dry sense of humor that doesn't go unnoticed. There are tons of viewers who have worked under someone like him, and this little zinger definitely has a familiar ring to it.
It's not that Bogo isn't unfeeling, he's just a very busy officer with a full case file stuffed with fourteen missing mammals that needs addressing. In his defense, there are bigger fish to fry than a new recruit unhappy with her assignment for the day. In the bigger picture, it's a lot more understandable.
Nick
“It’s Called A Hustle Sweetheart.”
It's smart, it's slick, it's practically Nick Wilde's catchphrase, and it's still one of the most memorable lines from the film. Nick practically has a lexicon of his own witty retorts, but this one manages to summarize his sarcastic nature in one fell swoop. He knows he's a smooth-talking guy, and doesn't want Judy or the audience to forget it.
Nick is a proud con artist, he doesn't mind if he steps on a few toes in his line of work. No, he'd rather call things like they are and walk away with that toothy grin. Of course, with an actor like Jason Bateman, viewers should expect nothing less than smooth and smarmy. The only thing that makes it funnier is when Judy throws it back in his face.
Nick
“Hey, When It’s Hard For Her To Fall Asleep, Does She Count Herself?”
Nick Wilde's wily and witty observations don't stop at just his former profession, but other animals as well. True, he's made a handful of healthy jabs at Judy by the time he whips this one out, but it's the cute factor that earns it a mention.
There's no denying that the image of Bellwether laying in bed countering herself as she tries to go to sleep is adorable, but it's also a cheeky little riff on her species. Since she's practically one of the few sheep that doesn't look like they want to butt heads, it makes complete sense.
Judy
“Are Your Customers Aware They’re Getting Snot And Mucus With Their Cookies And Cream?”
On the list of things people probably don't want to hear while enjoying any type of food, this one has to lie somewhere in the top 20. At first, the image of elephant ice-cream men serving ginormous scoops of dessert with trunks into tiny silver bowls is funny, even a little cutesy. But that idea soon takes a nosedive when Judy makes this fact known.
Even the most attentive audience probably didn't give a second thought when that elephant literally snorted a burlap bag of peanuts and then blew it out onto a strawberry sundae. Fortunately, Officer Hopps is a deal more diligent than others out there.
Nick
“Did You Just Boot My Stroller?”
Not the weirdest question asked in a Disney movie, but one that caught a few viewers by surprise, no doubt. Given rabbits' reputation for speed, it probably wouldn't be in the realm of impossibility for Judy to boot Nick's stroller in the blink of an eye, but hearing the fox acknowledge it is where the humor lies.
He's simply saying what the audience is thinking, and the fact that he so quickly comes to with what has just happened only adds to its effect.
Fru Fru
“No Icing People At My Wedding!”
Even if this quote didn't come from a tiny rodent that looks and sounds like a squeaky Snooki, the phrase would still lift a few eyebrows. Not everyone can say they have a notorious mobster as a father, then again, not everyone is an animated arctic shrew that lives above a frozen lake.
Mr. Big might not be Don Vito Corleone, but it seems his reputation for putting his victims on ice lingers with him. If it's enough for his daughter to call him out on it at her wedding, it's probably something he's done on a regular basis.
Weasleton
“It’s Weaselton, Duke Weaselton.”
Granted, this quote is probably only funny to a specific group of fans. Especially if they have both seen the voice acting career of Alan Tudyk. The quote itself acts more like an affirmation in line with the character it comes from, as well as playing with the same punchline from separate movies.
For those not in on the joke, Duke Weaselton is a play on Tudyk's character, the Duke of Weselton, from Frozen. The joke is that both their names are mispronounced in similar stylings. It might be just an inside joke for some, but it's one any seasoned Disney buff will appreciate.
Finnick
“You Kiss Me Tomorrow, I’ll Bite Your Face Off!”
Finnick is a gorgeous mishmash of comedic stylings. There are few visual/audio gags as classic or as funny as a voice coming out of a body it doesn't belong to. Case in point, the deep and intimidating voice of Tommy Lister Jr. coming out of Finnick's tiny body at the end of Nick's popsicle hustle.
Anyone threatening to bite someone's face off would be pretty threatening, but hearing it come out of an animated fox who just took off an elephant onesie is nothing short of comedy gold.
Flash
“What Do you Call A Three Humped Camel?”
It's a good joke, it's a great joke even, but what makes this obvious dad joke work so well is the reaction it gets out of a certain slow-acting sloth. Jokes concerning pregnant camels aside, the slow-motion reception is as equally hysterical if not more.
Jokes are certainly common in Disney, but Flash's timing (or lack thereof) is what truly makes this scene one of the funniest in the entire movie. And when he tries to tell it again to his coworker, Priscilla, it brings the same laughter back with ion before Nick and Judy ever set foot outside the DMV.'
Bogo
“So, Let It Go.”
Bogo comes back for the win, and possibly one of the funniest lines in any Disney animated movie. Not because it has anything particularly witty in its makeup, but because it's literally Disney making fun of their own success.
The full quote is: "Life is not some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and all your insipid dreams magically come true. So, let it go." In one fell swoop, Disney takes a massive shot at their most successful film at the time. The irony is so delicious and the delivery is so solid that it deserves nothing more than full-on peals of laughter from the die-hard Disney fans watching.
