Zootopie 2

Zootopia 2 is a decent and mostly enjoyable sequel, but after such a long wait, it's hard not to feel a little let down. The original film genuinely surprised me with how clever, heartfelt, and layered it was. This follow-up brings back the familiar charm, but never quite captures the same magic. It mostly feels more like a safe sequel of a successful brand than a story that really needed to be told.

The movie still looks good with very solid animation and a few fun new locations, but the world doesn't feel as expansive or alive as it did the first time around. A lot of the action takes place indoors and the city itself just feels less imaginative than before. Story-wise, the mystery is serviceable but predictable, and the police-academy-style elements don't add much tension or excitement.

It's not a bad movie by any means. Judy and Nick are still likable. Their dynamic works and some of the new characters are entertaining as well. There are laughs, the message is clear and well-intentioned, and families will definitely have a good time watching it together.

Overall, Zootopia 2 is a perfectly fine sequel, but noticeably weaker and more derivative than its predecessor.

LIKES: The Animation The Adventure The Comedy The Voice Acting The New Song The Pace The Heart The References Summary: Disney has so much technology to animate at their hands, and it continues to show that off with this film. Smooth movements, a colorful design, and plenty of character in the motions, Zootopia 2 is a gorgeous display of what is possible with their resources, giving the audience plenty to look, gawk, and enjoy as the multi-biome city returns once more to the big screens. Within this environmental playground is an adventure that feels a bit bigger and more explored than the previous film's montage did. We dive into a few more secrets and environmental factors, playing around with the fauna that is indigenous to them, adapting to the needs as the wild adventure unsheathes its claws. It goes more down the traditional Disney route to teach lessons, but not be so in your face like the first film, which opens up a bit more of an escape from the real world. And helping to keep things fun is comedy that is present in so many forms that it's hard not to find some style to have you cracking up in the theater. Kids are going to become infatuated with a lot of the silliness invoked, and many of the parents will probably get pulled into the fervor with them and making many Instagram/TikTok videos to mimic them. My favorite part had to be the references. Like Wish, Zootopia 2 is ready to poke fun at Disney's work, and you'll find references abound within the two hours as another collective "cameo" menagerie is integrated into the movie. Mostly comedic, sometimes emotional, these references serve as another angle to enjoy the film for a geek like me. All of this is done at a decent pace, an adventure to follow in a manner that doesn't feel slow, and relatively keeps things in check to not be extremely fast you have no content.

The movie, of course, has plenty of emotional aspects with the Disney magical touch. A heartfelt film that digs deep into some hot topics, the monologues are sweet, sincere, and relevant to the new age of viewers. Bringing that to life (alongside the comedy) is stellar voice acting from an assorted cast who know how to bring such heart into their animated characters. Goodwin is always a command of emotions, bringing happiness and sadness in this genuine form that adapts to every scene with such sharp precision. Bateman is Bateman. That's not a bad thing, but his character didn't require as much spread across the emotional range. But he knows how to enunciate and manipulate his words to make the puns come to life, the jabs feel fun, and he really commands the comedic element so well. As for Quan, I loved him as the snake, genuine, cute, and somehow managing to embody his usual self in that snake form. I loved his little tweaks and had hopes they would have done a bit more with the film. In most cases, the delivery brings the heart this film needs, and I feel many will soften to the wonderful work they gave us with this film's content and performances. And if that's not your beef, then Shakira's new song has got a bit more flair, fun, and utilization as this zoo is ready to show you what it contains.

DISLIKES: The Predictability Some Overkill On Comedy Needed A Bit More Mystery/Suspense A Bit Overkill With References Missed Some Character Development Summary: Yet, the movie suffers from predictability, with many of the mysteries easily solvable within the first thirty minutes. Zootopia 2 is having so much fun that some of the stronger elements feel weaker in this film, diluted to be less intense for fear of being too much for the target audience. While I'm glad there was more adventure, I would have liked a little more magic, mystery, and suspense added to this to keep things on edge as to what would happen. Alas, I think Disney's focus on comedy and references may have gotten in the way of better storytelling. To put so much focus into these slapstick fests of clumsiness, goofy walking, and yammering by several characters into what will surely be a new trend, there just seems to be less focus on the older audience moments. Throw in that many side stories feel bland and pieced in, leading to too many subplots battling for relevancy, so that they seem to trip up each other to a small degree. And despite the hints of touching, the character development is surprisingly weaker than I had thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, there are still some elements that appear, but again, much of the sharing is a lot of references, comedic jabbering, and these shallower elements that I was surprised they pursued.

The VERDICT: Zootopia 2 is very fun, endearing, and an adventure that returns to Disney's era, where the adventure was just as important as the messages. Beautiful animation and voice acting work together to bring our buddy cup duo back to life, and I loved how well these were all integrated to make the tale come to life. With lots of comedic elements, a good pace, and references to scope out each rewatch, it's a film that will cater to a lot of audience members, especially the younger generations. Where the movie fails is getting too lost in that fun, silliness, and multiple stories, so that the elements of the first film feel a bit flatter than I expected. Character development is not missing, but doesn't lack the same intensity, nor does the mystery/suspense that also feels like kiddy gloves were pulled on for writing the story. There was more to unlock, discover, and fight, but the new era of storytelling/censorship still is a bit more prominent, and it's holding back some of Disney's strongest elements. Still, in the long run, the movie is a theater-worthy adventure for many reasons, and I encourage you to head out and give it a look if you can. My scores for Zootopia are: Mystery/Action/Adventure/Crime/Animated/Family: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

First thing's first: I'm not a paid influencer shill, most of Disney's recent theatrical output has been fairly substandard and Bob Iger's pledge to integrate AI-generated content into his precious little streaming is nothing short of an insult to the human passion and creativity that Walt himself imbued into this company.

With that being said, I quite enjoyed myself here! I would have been happy to just see Nick and Judy again, but fortunately everything that surrounds them is mostly enjoyable, from the immersive world-building to the much-improved comedic timing (Patrick Warburton's horse mayor character is an absolute riot). Other than a few spots it doesn't suffer from that annoying trend in modern movies where it feels like a sterile product made to please the general audience-these characters go through the motions and struggle with themselves in the face of uncertain fate.

Jared Bush clearly gets what the people want.

Zootopia 2 restores Disney animation to its former glory with a high quality sequel that plays to the exact same strengths as the original but doesn't repeat itself thematically. This is another really funny and fast paced adventure where Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps unravel an equally sinister yet more mature conspiracy which goes to the very top, now focused on how the rich use gentrification to expand their ambitions at the expense of those who are different, covering it all up by erasing history with propaganda afterwards.

Ginnifer Goodwin & Jason Bateman are a perfect pairing once again. Their chemistry is faultless and both of them have grown by the end with Ginnifer Goodwin's Judy eventually realising that she doesn't need to always carry the weight of the world on her shoulders and Jason Bateman's Nick has to finally open up by dropping his endless snark for a genuinely affecting moment. Ke Huy Quan playing Gary De'Snake is fantastic casting as the sensitivity he brings is ideal for a character who's designed to go against stereotypes.

Directors Jared Bush & Byron Howard deliver emotionally investing action and the new areas explored makes Zootopia feel even more vibrant, aided by highly detailed animation. Starting this story a week after the first one's narrative ended was a wise choice to avoid missing any character development and there's some hilariously unexpected references to other films as well as so many animal puns. Michael Giacchino's score is easily capable of constantly matching the film's energy and switching things up.

Zootopia 2 (a follow-up to Zootopia (2016)) follows the cop duo Judy (the do-good bunny) and Nick (the shifty fox) as they navigate their new partnership, make friends along the way, and uncover hidden secrets. But, at what cost???

I just came out of the film, and I thought it was great!

The film picks up right where Zootopia (2016) left off, with Judy and Nick-still semi-fresh from saving the city-now working as a police duo trying to find their footing in the department, all while discovering that things aren't always what they seem. The film does a great job jumping right into the story and action! I think the film's appeal, like the original's, really comes from the mystery, the humor, the character chemistry, and the overall message of accepting others for who they are-all while gearing itself toward kids, families, and a general audience. The film also did a great job expanding the world-building and introducing new characters, all the while keeping me invested and on the edge of my seat. I thought the sequel delivered on all those fronts.

While the mystery was a standout, what truly hooked me was the character development between Judy and Nick. You really get to see more of their partnership here, and the film does a great job showing their different perspectives, the tensions, the needs, and the tougher moments that come with being partners-many of which adults will appreciate more than kids. I found myself just as invested in their relationship as I was in the overarching mystery, and honestly, their relationship really became the highlight of the film for me.

The cast performances were great! Returning voices Ginnifer Goodwin (as Judy, the bunny) and Jason Bateman (as Nick, the fox) both really carried the movie for me. I also loved the new additions of Ke Huy Quan (as the Snake), Andy Samberg (as Pawbert), and Fortune Feimster (the crazy beaver), along with the supporting cast, who all helped elevate the film. The film also brought back a few familiar voices from Zootopia (2016) that were fun additions/callbacks, along with some new cameos. I also thought Shakira's new number, "Zoo," was well done.

My only caveat was that after seeing the trailers, I felt like right at the beginning of the movie I had already guessed the plot, which ended with me not being very satisfied with the payoff. I still got surprised by a twist or two, but for the most part, I felt like the movie was predictable. I also thought the beginning of the film was well written, but near the end, I felt like some of the suspense dissipates due to the delivery being rushed. Saying all that, I still enjoyed the film tremendously!!

As a side note, I think the attention to detail was great-especially the many nods to Disney's own self-awareness. There was a weatherman named Bob Tiger (a nod to Disney's CEO Bob Iger), and a news channel called ZNN (referencing CNN), along with many others. I just thought they were fun pokes at Disney, by Disney.

Overall, Zootopia 2 delivers a good sequel thanks to its story, character development, and humor (it was pun-ny), all wrapped in stunning animation while delivering a great message! I would recommend it for kids, families, and really any viewer alike. And don't fur-get to stay until the end of the credits...

_ *Content: The film does have one LGBTQ+ scene (brief), along with some suggestive material, and light profanity (two vain references to Deity).