TL;DR – Zootopia 2 captures what made the first film such a joy. Full of energy, full of chaos, and full of delight. But it is also asking the important questions.  

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Zootopia 2 Review Introduction –

There were several thought processes that happened when I started writing this review. The first was discovering that the original Zootopia came out nine years ago, and also that is how long I have been writing reviews for this site. It was an odd moment of reflection, but also a profound look at one of the issues of modern Hollywood, in that it takes forever in between iterations. Well, let’s dive in and see if one of the most stacked cast lists this year can make up for all the time.

So, to set the scene, things have been going well in Zootopia (or Zootropolis, depending on where you live) since the incident that brought partners Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) when now former deputy mayor Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate) tried to start a war between the herbivore and carnivore members of the mammal city. After a mission goes wrong, Hopps and Wilde are sent to therapy with Dr Fuzzby (Quinta Brunson), which is make-or-break to see if they can continue being partners in the ZPD. But while the mission might have been a bust, some clues, like some scales, show that there may be more than just mammals in the city of Zootopia and with the Zootenial Gala coming up, is someone about to strike at the heart of the city?

Voice Cast

I can honestly say that this is one of the most stacked voice casts that I have seen in a long time. Nearly everyone from the first film is back, and it was always a delight to see them be so comfortable being back in the saddle. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman have such fantastic chemistry together, and you can feel that in every part of the film. So much of the vibes and the main narrative is based on their relationship, and it works. They are the heart of the film and the reason that I am sure people would watch a bunch more films in this universe.

This time around, we also see a significantly larger cast, all the way down from key players to so many fascinating cameos. Ke Huy Quan is, of course, a delight and was the perfect choice for bringing a snake into this world. Completely charming, but also profoundly compelling. When you hire David Strathairn to be your big bad in your film, you know you have gotten gold, because that man brings the vibe of a perfect villain. There are many shades of villainy, and he captures all of them. Oh, of course, Patrick Warburton as a horse mayor is phenomenal casting, as was the joy of watching Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Idris Elba, and Quinta Brunson chew on all of the furniture. For Fortune Feimster, I also mean that literally.

Narrative

Narratively, the film is treading a lot of the same thematic ground as the first entry, with a slightly different shift in perspective. Thematically, it’s all about how we are better working as a team, rather than being split apart. But they explore this through the lens of the mammal/reptile divide rather than the behaviour/carnivore division in the first film. On the whole, I think it works. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is very messy in places where they try to get this analogy to work in this universe, while still being a good example for kids to latch on to.

While that messiness is there, I was impressed to see that they did tackle several complex issues during the runtime. We have: working together with our differences to find strengths, minorities being othered and victimised, and how capitalism can be used to disenfranchise people without political power and usurp fair applications of politics. Then, of course, we have the big exploration, which is on the predatory and harmful nature of colonialism, the trauma it leaves in its wake, and what it means to be a society built on the disenfranchisement of others. It was honestly surprising to see them tackle this in what was still a superficial way. However, when you look around the world today, you can see how some of what they are talking about would be relevant to those watching.

 Emotion

Zootopia 2 is generally quite entertaining throughout, and I got more than a few full-belly laughs out, especially around some of the many Disney Easter Eggs scattered throughout. Which does help make some of the more complex issues land a little bit better. Though not every critical plot point needed a lizard running on water to land its point. Because Hopps and Wilde bring a lot of their baggage into the story, it has a remarkably emotional unpacking. While I found it affecting, some of the story elements just held it back from resonating with me on a deeper level. However, I would note from listening to those around me that there were more than a few teary eyes by the end.

Structure

If there is something that holds it back a touch, it is the structure, or more so, the pacing around how the film is structured. There are several plot points that the film feels the need to keep revisiting, which does start to drag things a bit. You do feel that some characters are a bit slow on the uptake for plot reasons, rather than character. Some of the character tension between Hopps and Wilde did feel a little forced; indeed, a lot of the conflict outside of the central tension about the Lynxley Journal feels a little manufactured. Such as the police being a little too quick to turn on two of their own. But thankfully, it was not enough to derail the film for me.

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Zootopia 2? Yes, yes, we would. I honestly had a great time. I did walk into this screening with a bit of trepidation that maybe too much time had passed to link the two films together. However, I am glad to say that I shouldn’t have worried. It was a delightful film, and can we not have to wait nine years for the next one?  

Have you watched Zootopia 2? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Zootopia 2, we would recommend Coco to you because it is also an animated film that has a real heart to it from start to finish that is exploring pasts that might not be how people in the present remember them.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Zootopia 2
Directed by – Jared Bush & Byron Howard
Written by – Jared Bush
Based on – Zootopia by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Josie Trinidad, Jim Reardon, Phil Johnston & Jennifer Lee
Edited by – Jeremy Milton
Music by – Michael Giacchino
Production/Distribution Companies – Disney Animation & Walt Disney Pictures
Starring – Ginnifer Goodwin,  Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, Maurice LaMarche, Leah Latham, Cecily Strong, Raymond S. Persi, Mark Rhino Smith, Tommy Chong, Tommy Lister Jr., Michelle Gomez, David Fane, Jean Reno, Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Josh Dallas, Peter Mansbridge, Yvette Nicole Brown, Josh Gad, June Squibb, Michael J. Fox, Rachel House, Mae Martin, Tig Notaro, Dwayne Johnson, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin, Robert Irwin, Mario Lopez, Auliʻi Cravalho, Anika Noni Rose, Nick DiGiovanni & Amanda Gorman
Rating – Australia: PG; Canada: G; Germany: 6; New Zealand: PG; United Kingdom: PG; United States: PG-13