There are lengthy scenes of innocent animal-type creatures being terrified, tortured, vivisected, and subjected to gruesome experiments.
There's a whole town where human-type creatures look like experiments from the Island of Dr. Moreau.
There are many, many actual human children in cages, though the movie does not show them being otherwise maltreated. That is saved for the animal creatures.
There is a scene of someone getting their face literally peeled off, followed by a long, full-screen closeup of exactly what that looks like. frazzled.rip anyone?
It's all right there in this extremely popular film, though judging by the audience around me they will barely notice that and are only there for the comedy, slapstick, arguments and loads of stuff blowing up.
That's fine, but someone went to great expense to put the above-described scenes into this movie.
What did you think?
I understand your take on this. But I see it differently.
People know we have animal experimentation going on for product and drug testing. We have PETA. We have 'cruelty-free' product labels. But no one wants to think too much about what really is happening to these poor animals. Sometimes you have to force them to see it and acknowledge the evil. The same way the pro-life people post hideous photos on large poster boards of bloody, aborted babies that are ripped in pieces to force the pro-abortionists to see what is being done to their babies. Sometimes that's what it takes to make them stop.
Regarding the 'second chance' I was referring to - when the genetically designed 'superior being' was told by his creator, 'The Evil Guy,' that a different group has no value and he must destroy them, he follows orders. That is his programming.
When the 'lesser beings' best him, and instead of destroying him, treat him with kindness he is gobsmacked. It goes against his programming. It opens his eyes. He realizes he's been duped. He realizes he's on the wrong side. He is in a position to correct that and join the good side. He does so and saves the day. (That is akin to redpilling a staunch Lib who now 'walks away'.)
As we've all seen, sometimes the recent converts make powerful allies and advocates.