Zootopia 2 Movie Review: An In-Depth Look

Zootopia 2: A Long-Awaited Sequel

Zootopia 2 is a long-awaited sequel to what I think is one of Disney’s best animated films over the past few years. And here, brave rabbit cop Judy Hops and her friend, the fox, Nick Wild, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.

Time Flies: Almost 10 Years Since the First

If you can believe it, the first Zootopia film came out almost 10 years ago. That’s crazy. Time makes no sense. Everything after 2020, nothing makes any sense to me. Time is this warped, jumbled pile of goopy jello, and I don’t even know where we are anymore. But nearly 10 years ago, Zootopia came out and really blew me away. I thought it was just a fantastic movie with incredible new characters, great character animation, voice work, a really amazing world, and Zootopia 2 is easily one of my most anticipated animated films of the recent years.

The Sequel Delivers Fun for All Ages

And while I don’t think it’s as good as the first film, I do think it is still an amazing time at the movies, and families are really going to have a good time with this, especially kids, but I also think adults are really going to enjoy the film. There’s a lot of references for us to appreciate. There are movie pop culture references that didn’t feel like it was annoying or eye rolling and it wasn’t constant. There were some callbacks to some of Zootopia’s best jokes like their sloths and this time around they find a really good way of subverting what you might expect out of a sloth.

Tackling Complex Issues in a Unique Way

But just like the first film, this movie does find a really unique way of exploring complex social issues amongst a world that is filled with animals. But in this case, the reptiles are kept off to the side. People find them disgusting. They’re scared of them. They don’t want to be around them. and they think their habits are strange. They don’t really get them. And a snake voiced by a Ki Hui Kwan shows up in Zootopia for the very first time. There’s never been a snake in Zootopia. Everyone’s terrified. They don’t know what to make of it. And of course, immediately you think, “Oh, this is a predator. He’s going to kill us all. He’s going to use his venom.” But he’s the sweetest, most adorable, likable snake you could ever see who has a mission. And Nick and Judy are able to figure out how they can help this snake.

The Adventure Continues

And of course along the adventure they encounter all different types of really fun action sequences, terrific animation, really good music by Michael Jino, and a message that I would appreciate my kids understanding in a film like this and not shoving it down their throats and making it really obvious. It’s the type of thing where you could spend your entire life watching this movie as a really fun film for your childhood and then when you’re like maybe like 13 or 14, you’re like, “Wait a second.”

A Movie for All Ages

Oh, those are always my favorite movies for kids when you can watch them and really enjoy them just as a piece of entertainment and then as you get older you realize there were some darker themes there or there was a message that was important and Zootopia and Zootopia 2 are both really good at that.

Nick and Judy: Still a Team

One of my favorite aspects of the first movie was watching the interplay and the back and forth between Nick and Judy and watching a fox and a rabbit have to work together. Here, there are elements of their friendship that is strained, but since they are such a good team and they clearly love each other, there’s a little bit less of the tension and the excitement that comes from seeing them pair up.

That’s going to happen in sequels, especially when the first one is about the origin of a character or characters, how they get along, how they became what they are, and you have to kind of forget that and then tell the best story you can with them as they are, as the thing they were always trying to be.

And that’s one of the hardest parts about sequels, especially when you have a character like Judy Hops, for instance, that is trying so hard to reach a goal. What happens after she reaches it? Is there anything else interesting about her? I think this film does a pretty good job of continuing her character in a way that made me invested, and her relationship with Nick was still really interesting and fun and just adorable, but it’s not quite as good as the first just because of the fact that watching them get to know each other in the first was so so entertaining.

Zootopia 2: Furries, Your Prayers Have Been Answered

After nearly 10 years, we have ourselves Zootopia 2. I don’t know, at a point it just stops being on your bingo card. But hey, it’s here. Furries, your prayers have been answered. Let’s talk about it.

The Underdog Duo Returns

So, Zootopia 2 once again follows Judy Hops and Nick Wild. They’re working together on the force. They are the underdogs. I mean, you know, again, long story short, a Snake voiced by Key Huie Kwan shows up. Questions are raised by Nick Wild and Judy Hops because, you know, they’re the underdogs. Again, no one else is going to listen to him, so it’s up to our duo to get to the bottom of a mystery.

That is a dark history of Zootopia. Expose the ones who profit from it. And yeah, starting out, our duo, Nick Wild and Judy Hobbs, they’re great. Again, they just play off each other so well as polar opposites that I mean, are they dating? Are they not? Are they romantically together? They don’t have romantic moments, per se, but they do come across as absolute soulmates.

You know, as Rocky said, they fill gaps. I mean, he didn’t say that about Zootopia, but you know, she’s the lawful, good, ambitious underdog. He’s the snarky, sarcastic, care-free one who deep down we all know he does care. The snappy dialogue between the two, the punchy animation, it makes for a really fun character adventure, be it about two characters in particular.

Animal Puns and Movie References Galore

This movie does have new characters that come into the fold. Some stand out more than others. The movie is also chocked full with animal puns and movie references. The animal puns, I mean, you know, who doesn’t like a good dad joke? But that’s what Zootopia really lends itself to is throwing animals into the mix knowing they don’t really play well together like in the world. But how would that look in a say work capacity? Solid movie references in this movie too.

I mean your kids are not going to get all of them. Kind of took me back to Aladdin how the genie just had these references that I didn’t get as a kid. My parents are over there laughing. I’m like what? What? I mean this is absolutely a Zootopia story. I guess we can call it that now. Now that this is a second one. Couple of polar opposite underdogs get together, work together to expose the hidden corruption, right? I guess that’s just what Zootopia is. I mean, granted, it’s been nearly 10 years. Maybe that’s the move.

Cuz when Avatar Way of Water came out, couldn’t help but see the original Avatar beats in there also. Maybe this is just what Zootopia is. When Zootopia 3 comes out, we’ll all know it’s a couple of polar opposite underdogs who get together to expose the corruption.

Sequel Vibes: Forced, Inspired, or More of the Same?

Zootopia 2. Is it a sequel that’s forced? Inspired? More of the same? It’s kind of that third one, which doesn’t make it bad. And yes, we have our commentary in this movie, too. I mean, this movie’s plot is how Zootopia was built by screwing over a certain group of animals. There are those who profit off of that. I mean, granted, it’s pretty much this meme, but Zootopia.

Here’s the thing, though. The Simply Said is not annoying about it. There are many movies out there with social, political, racial commentary, and sometimes it’s like, great, were you going to have a movie with this message or is this just it? With Zootopia, it mixes really well with the film. It doesn’t feel like the conversation in the room at the studio was like a film with social, political, racial commentary. Our analysts say that’ll track really well on Twitter, I must say.

Great. Who should we get to write it? Write the script, you mean? Well, yeah. We need a plot, characters, dialogue, something binding it together. Oh, that’s far too much work. Just take a few tweets as an example. Put something on screen that will go viral. Yes. Okay. That is to say, Zootopia does a solid job at creating the balance.

A Fun Mystery Caper for All Ages

It’s not some social commentary piece in which kids are going to be lost or bored, but it’s not a surface level animation that’ll just entertain your four-year-old while you’re there bored to tears. It gives something a little deeper for the adults to chew on, but also the animated adventure itself is going to entertain the kids. Heck, the animated adventure itself is going to entertain you as well.

It is what a Zootopia movie is. A fun mystery caper with interesting characters, solid character growth, twists and turns, and great animation. The animation in this movie is solid. I get that animation takes different forms. At a point, it it feels like there are a lot of animations that look like someone hit render and halfway through and okay, stop. That’s enough. I like an animation that feels vibrant, complete, like there’s a competitive market out there. It recognizes it, knows it has to stand out, and this movie had solid moments of tension.

Reliable Animated Crowd-Pleaser

Zootopia 2 is a bit long. It’s about an hour 50 minutes or so. I feel like closer to 90 minutes would be more in the pocket. But regardless, I had myself a really good time with Zootopia 2. No alcohol required. If you’re looking for a family time out at the movies, maybe after Thanksgiving dinner or this weekend, Zootopia 2 is a pretty solid choice. It’s a pretty reliable animated crowd-pleaser.

All right, so Zootopia 2. Have you seen it? What did you think about it? or what are you getting for Black Friday this year?