Movie Review: Zootopia 2

By John Corrado

When Zootopia came out in 2016, it took a lot of people by surprise (myself included) with how sharp and relevant it was.

Set in an anthropomorphic world of talking animals designed like a bustling metropolis, the Disney film delivered a timely message about stereotypes and discrimination between “predators” and “prey,” told through the allegory of a “clever bunny” and a “sly fox” becoming unlikely partners.

That message, coupled with the sheer imagination on display throughout the wildly entertaining film, made it one of Disney’s best modern animated movies. It also means that Zootopia 2, a sequel that is arriving nearly a decade later but became inevitable when the first one made a billion dollars, has pretty big shoes to fill.

But, if the ideal sequel was a buddy cop movie that is basically Lethal Weapon starring a bunny and a fox, that’s kinda the formula for Zootopia 2. Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have delivered a massively fun followup that also has a ton of heart. This second instalment more than delivers as a sequel to that shockingly great first film, exploring more sides of these characters and a lot more of this world, with another clever mystery and resonant themes at its core.

Our heroes, former street fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and rookie bunny cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), are now partners in the ZPD (Zootopia Police Department). But they come under fire from Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) for having their own way of doing things, a mix of Judy’s desperation to prove herself as a tiny bunny, and Nick’s hustler instincts that have him skirting the rules to get things done.

Their rogue choices in the field land them in hot water, and in one very funny sequence, tossed into a partner support group led by “therapy animal” Dr. Fuzzby (Quinta Brunson). But the mysterious arrival of Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan), the first reptile to appear in Zootopia in quite some time, has Nick and Judy leading their own investigation into the city’s history. This includes help from delightful new character Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster), the beaver host of a conspiracy podcast on EweTube (get it?).

The film packs in the animal puns and sight gags, offering a steady stream of jokes that frequently land. The whole thing moves at a fast pace, with this colourful world and its inhabitants offering constant visual delights. The first film presented such a rich world with so many different areas and corners to explore, that the idea of another film actually feels welcome. There is so much potential here, and Zootopia 2 builds off of it in leaps and bounds, using a great central mystery to take us to new areas of the titular city.

We get another smart and clever screenplay by Bush (who also co-wrote the first one), that once again brilliantly weaves real world allegories into this animal world. The film goes to some darker places, building real stakes that deepen the emotional payoffs during the finale, which very effectively tugs at the heartstrings. The screenplay is also very perceptive in the ways that it explores and strengthens the partnership between Nick and Judy, including giving Nick the space to acknowledge his traumatic childhood (the “therapy speak” adds a fun, refreshingly mature motif throughout).

A big part of the appeal of the first film – and this sequel – is Nick and Judy themselves, your classic mismatched buddy comedy duo who are delightful to watch bouncing off each other. Bateman and Goodwin once again bring strong comic timing and emotional depth to their portrayals, while the animators do a great job of allowing them to be anthropomorphized, but also still have some unique animal characteristics (like the way Nick licks peanut butter off his paw).

In terms of the new characters, Quan does very appealing work as Gary, with the animators pushing his physicality as a snake. Andy Samberg is a fun addition to the cast as lynx Pawbert Lynxley, the misfit son of Zootopia’s esteemed Milton Lynxley (David Strathairn). Patrick Warburton also amuses as Mayor Brian Winddancer, a horse actor turned useful idiot politician, taking over for the crooked Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate).

Like last year’s mega hit Inside Out 2 (which also arrived nine years after its predecessor), Zootopia 2 hits that perfect sweet spot of appealing to those who grew up with the first one, along with a new generation of kids who have discovered it on streaming, and the various other fandoms that have embraced this franchise and kept it in the online zeitgeist. The film thematically works on multiple levels, allowing it to be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

The film delivers everything we want in a sequel, including another banger original song by Shakira, who once again lends her voice to pop star Gazelle. Bush and Howard do a good job of balancing a mix of character appearances and callbacks to the first one (and setting things up for a third movie), while also allowing Zootopia 2 to largely stand on its own as another absolutely delightful adventure that builds off the first film’s success of being funny, exciting, and heartfelt. In short, this film will make another billion dollars (if not more!) at the box office, and it deserves to.