After saving the city of Zootopia, Judy Hopps (voiced again by Gennifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced again by Jason Bateman) try to prove themselves as great police officers, but after a failed bust mission, they are put on leave until they work out how to function as a team. With Judy believing the two are in perfect harmony and not wanting to leave a case unsolved, she and Nick get roped into something huge when a pit viper named Gary (voiced by Ke Huy Quan) tries to steal a journal detailing the creation of Zootopia’s weather walls from the very prestigious Lynxley family, who clearly have dark secrets they want kept hidden. Now on the run after being framed for assisting Gary, Judy and Nick try to learn the true intentions of this seemingly innocent snake while being tailed by law enforcement and uncover a truth which will challenge the notion that reptiles are dangerous and should be forbidden from Zootopia.
ZOOTOPIA 2 may not have the level of depth or focus as the first film but is still a pleasant follow-up that’s made more than just a frivolous escapade through lively colors, engrossing environment design, a few decent laughs, and two incredible leading characters who really are the heart and soul of this brand.
The first film was a surprise juggernaut at the box office and with critics, rising above expectations and captivating audiences so much that many clambered for a sequel, even though it concluded very cleanly with all lose ends resolved. However, the potential that could come from this environment and characters was too great to pass up, so it was the best course of action to continue, and Disney took this task seriously, letting the project brew for several years, bringing back Jared Bush and Byron Howard to direct and write the feature, and presented an initial teaser that piqued people’s interest by subtly but ingeniously hinting at the whole story without giving anything away, they were clearly hoping for another big win, and it seemed to pay off.
ZOOTOPIA 2 has the same kind of charm, perky energy, and sense of heart as the first film, but with the benefit of having a better sense of humor, as while the first wasn’t without a few cute sight gags and animal-related puns, it was more interested in its heartfelt characters and dramatic storytelling, whereas this sequels offers some genuinely fun sequences that only further endears the audience to its world and characters.
While improved from a comedic standpoint, it takes a slight but still noticeable step backwards in terms of its storytelling and delivery, as even though the movie has a solid outline to follow about the absence of reptiles in a supposed inclusive city and the two leads becoming fugitives after learning the dark history behind the creation of their city, the intrigue is a little lacking because the script doesn’t allow for many quiet moments.
With this new comedic spark comes a hyperactive energy that leaves little room to elaborate on the characters dilemmas or the genuinely important message about erasing history and demonizing entire cultures to retain a clean status quo, so even though both movies actually have a lot of similarities, the first knew how to better balances its lighter and darker aspects while still keeping the characters and story at the forefront. This sequel, by comparison, feels a little generic in its messaging and less intricate with its narrative flow, and would’ve benefitted from another rewrite to iron out what is a pretty good plot on paper.
Judy and Nick instantly became iconic characters, not just because of their simple designs which brimmed with personality and Ginnifer Holland and Jason Bateman’s fantastic performances, but also through their strong writing which made them feel very real and identifiable, so any more time spent with them would be worthwhile. A sequel that tackles some of the flaws in their dynamic sounds perfect, but because of the much zippier pacing and scripting that never fully takes advantage of its content, not much comes from this exploration.
An issue that plagues this sequel is that nothing feels elevated from the first, with most of the story beats and character arcs feeling repetitive of what has already been explored, and while this isn’t enough to tarnish two really good main characters who are still voiced wonderfully and reach a heartfelt conclusion, it’s a shame their turmoils aren’t as complex as they were previously and that nothing new is discovered about them.
While most of the supporting cast from the first film aren’t as present this time around, this allows new characters the chance to take centre stage, and most of them are fairly enjoyable albeit stricken with underwritten roles. The two hindered the worst from this are Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lyxnley, who’s trying to make up for his family’s cruel actions, and especially Ke Huy Quan as Gary, as he’s strangely underused despite being all over the posters and advertising. Quan does make Gary extremely sweet and endearing and his story is pretty tragic, but it would’ve been nice to see more of him in order to fully get behind his struggle.
Fortune Feimster is pretty good as a beaver podcaster named Nibbles Feimster, and Quinta Brunson is part of a pretty funny scene as a police partner therapist, but David Strathairn plays a pretty boring villain, Patrick Warburton and Danny Trejo play characters that should feel crucial and are perfectly entertaining yet aren’t used enough to showcase their talents, and the amount of actor cameos that go unnoticed for playing background roles is pretty hilarious (including Stephanie Beatriz, Jean Reno, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, John Leguizamo, Michael J. Fox, and Dwayne Johnson just to name a few).
The world of Zootopia is such an appealing environment, being this bustling metropolitan city that houses a multitude of animal species with separate layers featuring different climates and habitats to match certain species, and while it wasn’t explored to the fullest originally, what was showcased and how it presented a society that operated in a semi-human fashion whilst incorporating the traits of these various animals was crazy captivating. Just being able to see more of this city would’ve been reason enough to make a follow-up, and we do get a few new settings like a marshland for more aquatic and reptilian creatures, a Sahara-like desert, and a quaint snake village covered underneath a tundra of ice and snow, but it could’ve benefitted from more exploration even if the pieces are still good and every location looks incredible thanks to the animation
The amount of detail, color and expression that exudes from this movie whether in the foreground or background already made this series visually impressive, and while this sequel doesn’t feel like a massive upgrade in technology (mainly because the first film already looked really good), it’s still a great looking picture, with a lot of fun details present in the background, really fast and smooth motion that is on full display during the action, and just enough realistic motion and emotion to counteract the more cartoonish aspects, which keep this pretty fantastical world just grounded enough.
ZOOTOPIA 2 isn’t delivered in a way that exceeds or even lives up to its predecessor, but for what could’ve been offered during a period where Disney is struggling to keep good will with the public, most will be satisfied with this follow-up. It’s not on the level of a Toy Story 2 or Inside Out 2 which took the strongest pieces of the original and continued developing them in a fulfilling fashion, but it still manages a charming fun picture that houses likeable characters, vibrant animation, and enough heart to not feel entirely devoid of weight. There are still plans to move this series forward in the future, and while it’s likely to repeat the diluted sense of plot and character progression present in this film, getting more of this zoo will never not be appreciated (especially so that we can get another great Shakira song).
