The first Zootopia is a film that caught many by surprise, injecting a pretty entertaining talking animal flick with some impressively weighty social commentary, particularly when it comes to racial prejudice. Considering its Oscar-winning, billion-dollar success, it’s surprising it took nearly a decade for a proper follow-up, not counting the Disney+ shorts. But Zootopia 2 is finally here, and while it brought back the entertainment, the commentary feels a bit more weightless this time around.
We catch up to bunny cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and former street-hustling fox Nick Wylde (Jason Bateman), a mere week after the events of the first film, now partners at the Zootopia Police Department. However, their wildly differing personalities result in them causing chaos throughout the city and getting sent to “Partners in Crisis” therapy as a result. As the town prepares for its centennial celebration, Judy uncovers a clue that hints at the appearance of a snake, the first reptile to appear in Zootopia since they were exiled a century ago.
Sure enough, the fantastically-named viper Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) arrives to steal a journal detailing the creation of the city’s climate-controlling weather walls, currently held by the high-society Lynxley clan. A series of sudden misunderstandings leads patriarch Milton Linxley (David Strathairn) to accuse Judy and Nick of being in cahoots with the snake, and the duo are branded as fugitives. It’s up to the pair to track down Gary, who wants to use the journal to finally clear the reptiles’ sullied reputation.
“Zootopia 2 is finally here, and while it brought back the entertainment, the commentary feels a bit more weightless this time around.”
A lot of what I liked about Zootopia 2 carries from the first film. Once again, the film is a smorgasbord of creative world-building and stunning animation. The varied environments that make up Zootopia are ones that are chock full of one visual gag and animal pun after another. There’s even an extended homage to a classic horror film during one of the film’s many chase scenes that had me audibly cackling.
Zootopia 2 is also filled to the brim with fun, “blink and you’ll miss it” cameos from what seems to be everyone in Hollywood; from Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson as the ZPD’s quokka therapist Dr. Fuzzby, to WWE wrestlers (and longtime rivals) CM Punk and Roman Reigns as fratty zebra cops named the Zebros to even Michael J. Fox as a prisoner named…Michael J. The Fox.
However, my personal favourite goes to the always reliable Patrick Warburton as stallion Brian Winddancer, a vain former action star who becomes Zootopia’s new mayor. It is not a stretch from his other well-known voice roles, but his line deliveries never fail to bring a huge laugh. There are also returning characters such as Shakira’s gazelle, Idris Elba’s tired police chief Bogo, and a great comedic bit from fan-favourite sloth Flash.
“Zootopia 2 is also filled to the brim with fun, ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ cameos from what seems to be everyone in Hollywood.”
But Zootopia 2’s central dynamic of Judy’s peppy overachieving and Nick’s relaxed cynicism carries the entire film, and Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman’s chemistry has not wavered in the decade-long break.
Unfortunately, most of the newer and bigger supporting characters are the ones I feel ambivalent about. While on the run, Judy and Nick befriend a conspiracy theorist beaver named Nibbles Maplestick, whose rapid-fire comedy is hit or miss despite Fortune Feimster’s spirited performance. Even worse is the case of Gary. Quan has charm for days, but Gary feels severely underwritten for a character the entire film is supposed to revolve around.
The few times he is on screen outside a chase sequence, most of his dialogue exists only to provide exposition. The same goes for the Lynxleys, antagonists I completely forgot about for a large part of the film. The lone exception, and one of the more interesting characters, is Andy Samberg as Pawbert, the one family member sympathetic to the protagonists’ cause, which puts him at odds with his family.
One of the things that made the original Zootopia as strong as it was is how it discussed prejudice in a way that, although unsubtle, remained digestible for a general audience through predator and prey stereotypes. Co-directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard aim for similar thematic territory by tackling colonial erasure and its effects on later generations, but they do not flesh out those themes with the depth the first film had.
Zootopia 2 does carry the necessary message of acceptance and kindness towards others’ differences, but it primarily does so through the lens of Judy and Nick’s partnership. As a result, the reptiles’ story feels more like an excuse to pad out the film’s story and introduce new locations (like the reptiles’ secret home of Marsh Market) rather than being the film’s central focus.
Ultimately, my big disappointment in Zootopia 2 is that it’s just an okay sequel to a great film. Its heart is certainly in the right place, and it has enough fun and laughs to make it an entertaining watch for the whole family, but it’s a bummer how it all feels surprisingly toothless. At the very least, it’s certainly better than the last few Disney animated sequels, and I’m hoping the eventual Zootopia 3 can bring back the balance missing here.
